//------------------------------//
// Chapter Eleven 
// Story: A Journey Unthought Of 
// by Hustlin Tom 
//------------------------------//

Lyra and Bon Bon didn’t initially believe my story of being an audience to one of the Royal Sisters; many ponies went their whole lives without ever seeing them.  But after giving them a physical description of the Princess of the Night, they realized I was telling them the truth.  

“We saw her just last Fall when she came to Ponyville for Nightmare Night” Lyra said.  

“Nightmare Night?”  

“Nightmare Night is a night where little colts and fillies go out in costumes and get candy from the ponies in the neighborhood,” Bon Bon explained.  She had just finished up tidying the living room, and was coming in to sit with Lyra and I.

I was sitting on the floor as usual, and Lyra was occupying a bean bag chair, which I had created using an old burlap sack, leaves from the Everfree Forest, and a little ingenuity.  Ever since I’d show her how a couple days ago, she loved sitting in it like humans do; on her back, back legs down to the floor, and forelegs supporting her head.  Bon Bon laid down on her floor mat, looked over at Lyra and sighed a little.  

“That style of sitting is still going to take some getting used to.”  

“If you tried it Bon Bon, you’d find it’s quite enjoyable,” I said.  

Bon Bon looked at me with a smirk, eyes half open.  “Is that what Lyra told you?  She’s only saying that because half of her enjoyment comes out of annoying me!”  

I looked over to Lyra, she had adopted an expression of mock surprise.  “She’s catching on, isn’t she?”  I had to crack a grin at!  

The smile faded as I began to think about what Bon Bon had told me.  “On Earth we have a similar holiday to Nightmare Night called Halloween.  In fact, from the descriptions, they sound almost identical.”  I pondered. 

Bon Bon looked at me quizzically, “Could that just be a coincidence?”  

“I don’t think so.  So many things of both of our worlds are similar; it has to mean there is some kind of connection.  Similar tools, holidays, seasons; there has to be a connection!”  

Lyra sat up from the bean bag chair.  “Maybe we could see what else here is similar by going to the library and getting a book from Twilight.”  Just as Lyra had finished the thought, there was a knocking at the door.  As Lyra went to get the door, I hurried into her bedroom to hide; we didn’t want any more pony hysterics from the sight of me.  

As I heard the door open, I heard a colt begin to speak.  “Good morning Miss Heartstrings!  How are you today?”  

“Oh just fantastic Officer Blue Badge!  What’s going on?  Is something wrong?”  

“No, no!  I was just coming out to tell everypony that there have been rumors swirling around that there is some sort of new creature on the loose.  There were sightings yesterday of a yellow pegasi being chased by a two legged animal of some sort.  We’re not sure of its nature, but we assume it’s hostile to ponies.  The Mayor Mare has put out a warning to all ponies to report sightings of it, but to stay a safe distance from it.  Have you sighted the creature in question, ma’am?”  

It was a good thing Lyra had only opened the door partway, because the officer might have become suspicious if he had seen Bon Bon.  She was panicking a little, and lying was never a talent she had picked up.  

Lyra, fortunately for me, had a very trustworthy face.  “Nope!  There haven’t been any creatures here!  Well, any out of the ordinary anyway!”

Officer Blue Badge gave a little chuckle “Well, that’s good!  Thank you for your time and be careful!”  

“Thank you Officer!”  Lyra calmly closed the door, trotted over to her bean bag chair, and plopped back down.  She smiled and closed her eyes as she found a satisfactory position.  She cracked one eye and looked over at Bon Bon, who was still wound up from the Officer’s sudden visit.  “You can breathe now.”  She smirked. 

“How about me?”  I yelled out of the bedroom closet.  “Can I come out now?”