//------------------------------// // Chapter 6.5: Morgan Confronts Lyra // Story: This Can't Be Happening // by StayOuttaMyShed //------------------------------// "Just my damn luck," Morgan grumbled to himself as he flew towards town hall. "I can't go one day of finding something fun in this stupid pony town without finding out some weirdo is creeping on me!" Morgan didn't quite know what he was going to do when he found Lyra. Part of him was hesitant to confront her as he feared that she could go psycho on him. Maybe drag him back to her shed to have her way with him. Sure, this was still the world of a children's cartoon, but when characters can do things like break into the human world, what was the point in taking chances? "Now just where is My Little Stalker?" Morgan asked as he reached town hall. His gaze went from pony to pony. That one was too young and nerdy-looking. The one next to her had a color scheme like roses, so she’s out. Finally, he spotted a mint-colored mare sitting on a bench. A pencil floated in a cloud of yellow, scribbling down something in a notepad. “There she is.” Snaking his way through the throngs of ponies unnoticed, Morgan hovered over to behind Lyra and grounded himself. As he neared her, he could faintly hear her talking to herself. "Today, subject learned how to fly from Rainbow Dash. Struggled at first, but he seemed to get the hang of it fairly easily... It's fascinating how quickly he was able to learn." "Oh shit, Derpy wasn't lying," Morgan thought as he listened to Lyra recounting her notes. "This crazy pony's been spying on me all day." He gulped nervously. Lyra seemed giddy about writing down her observations. Not interested in sticking around to see just how creepy her notes were going to get, Morgan loudly cleared his throat, startling Lyra into jumping from her seat and dropping her notepad. "What do we have here?" Morgan asked as he began to reach for the notepad. He hesitated the moment he remembered he no longer had hands. "Eep! D-Don't look at that!" Lyra yelled before snatching the notepad away. "It's, uh... private." "Is that right?" Morgan stared Lyra down with an angry glare. She nervously smiled back at him. "I'm on to you." "I-I don't know know what you mean..." "Cut the crap, pony. I know what you're up to." Lyra gulped and looked around to make sure no one else was listening in on them. "How’d you find out?" she asked once she was sure no one else could hear them. "Let's just say a little birdie told me. Apparently, you're not the most discreet stalker ever." "I wasn't stalking you," Lyra said. "I was just...observing you." "Oh, yeah, that totally doesn't sound as creepy." Morgan sighed and facehoofed. "Look, just tell me why you've been creeping on me. I have enough shit on my plate as it is. I don't need the thought that some freaky pony might be spying on me in the back of my mind." "Okay, okay, I'll tell you, just keep your voice down." Lyra took another look around before leaning in close to Morgan. "I'm what ponies around here call a human enthusiast. Ever since I was a filly, I've been fascinated by humans. They were always my favorite mythical creature." "Mythical creature?" Morgan blurted out, earning him a confused look from Lyra. "Yeah, you know, the kind of thing you only read about in fairy tales. They're just so... interesting! The way they talk, the way they act, and best of all, their hands!" Lyra giggled to herself cheerfully. "What's so special about hands?" Morgan asked. "What's not special about hands?" Lyra replied with a scoff. "Just think of all the things ponies could do if we had hands instead of hooves!" Morgan pursed his lips and wondered. If these ponies were like the ones on Earth, he would see where Lyra was coming from... but in a world where ponies could fly, use magic, and somehow pick things up without fingers, then why would they need hands? "Anyway,” Lyra continued, “some ponies would say my level of interest in humans is...strange." "You mean creepy?" Morgan asked. Lyra shot him an irritated glare. "No, not creepy. I'm just passionate in my research. So, imagine my surprise when Pinkie Pie comes up to Bon Bon and me one day to introduce us to somepony who she claims is from a different world. A world where he had hands." Lyra stared Morgan down. Nervously, he cleared his throat and nonchalantly shifted his eyes about. "Oh, you know how Pinkie can be,” Morgan offered. “Girl's crazy with a capital C. I haven't been here long but she must have told me at least 20 zany stories by now." Morgan gave Lyra his most convincing smile. Her unimpressed look told him that she wasn't buying it. "You mentioned flying being something people can't do back in 'your world' to Rainbow Dash yesterday." Morgan's eyes grew wide. "And then you mentioned how you missed meat when you were eating in town. That's not exactly something you'd normally hear a pony complaining about." "Holy crap, how much have you been following me?" "A lot, ok? Listen, maybe I've been following you for a few days. Maybe I've been listening in on your conversations. Maybe I've been writing down stuff about you in this notepad. The point is, I'm not the only one here that's been caught. I think I have a substantial amount of evidence to prove that you're a human from another world. So. Admit it!" Morgan and Lyra locked eyes and stared each other down. Lyra smiled smugly. Morgan clenched his teeth nervously. "I-I don't know what you're talking about. Look at me, I'm a pegasus." Morgan hovered above Lyra and flew around her a bit to prove his point before landing next to her. "Nothing human about me." "So I'm just supposed to believe it's a coincidence that you just learned how to fly today? Or how about how you're an adult pony that JUST got their cutie mark?" Lyra asked as she pointed her hoof at Morgan's flank. "Yeah, basically. I'm... just a late bloomer, that's all. It's like a whole new world here in Ponyville compared to Los Pegasus, that's why-" Morgan stopped himself when he looked over and saw tears forming in Lyra's eyes. "...You alright?" "It-it's just that I've dreamed of meeting a real life human for so long and just when I think I've finally found one, you tell me that you're not one. I-I just wanted humans to be real s-so bad." Suddenly, Lyra threw her hooves around Morgan and began crying in that same, over-the-top cartoony way that Pinkie did the first day he got here. The stream of tears soaked Morgan. Her grip was too tight for him to get free. "Hey, let me go, Lyra. I can't breathe!" She ignored Morgan and continued to drown him in her endless stream of tears. "Alright, alright, I'm a human, I admit it. Please let me go!" "Aha, I knew it!" Lyra shouted immediately. She jumped around with a tearless, gleeful smile. "They're real! Humans are real!" "Bitch tricked me!" a frustrated Morgan muttered as Lyra continued her dance of joy. "At least this'll get her to stop stalking me..." "Oh my gosh, Morgan, this is the best day ever!" Lyra pulled him in for another tight embrace. "I've always dreamed of the day when I'd meet a real life human!" "Yeah, it's pretty amazing. Now could you let go of me?" "Oh. Right." Lyra broke her hug and smiled. "Sorry, I'm just... so excited! Like you don't even know how huge this is for me!" "Well, if it means that you'll stop shadowing me everywhere, then I'm glad to hear it. Just don't tell anyone else. It's supposed to be a secret." "My lips are sealed! Your secret's safe with me." "Good." Morgan looked up and saw that the sky was darkening. "Well, this was fun, but I need to go. Remember, keep this to yourself." "Wait, you can't go yet," Lyra yelled as she blocked Morgan's path. "I have so many more questions I want to ask you!" "Look, as much as I'd love to give you my life story, I need to get back to the library before it gets dark. Maybe some other time." "Really? Do you mean it?" Lyra had a twinkle in her eye and a huge grin on her face. Morgan sighed haggardly, knowing if he told her no, she'd probably just go back to stalking him. "Alright, I got an idea,” Morgan said with a sudden beam. “When I find some free time, you and me can get together and you can ask me all the questions you want. Sound good?" "Sounds fantastic!" Lyra excitedly gave Morgan another hug. "Thank you so much! This is going to be great!" "Yeah, yeah, yeah, it'll be a real blast. Just don't let me hear about you following me anymore." "You don't have to worry. I'm going to be waaay too busy thinking up questions for you!" Lyra gasped and pulled out her notepad. "I should start writing some down now! See you later, Morgan!" Lyra galloped off, already scribbling away in her notepad. Morgan breathed a sigh of relief. "Man, this place is bananas. I can't wait to get some rest."