The Hearts of Man: Chapter 11 -The Fan-

Chapter 11 -The Fan-

 

>After asking around town, and a few awkward stares from various ponies, you eventually found Lyra's house.

>If one shopkeeper hadn't told you it was the place, you would never had believed it.

>This place seems abandoned, maybe even haunted, let alone like somep0ny's home.

>The windows look like they've been boarded up from the inside, and you can't see a single light from anywhere in the house.

>You carefully make your way up its rickety front steps stand at the door.

>You knock.

>After a minute or two, you decide to knock again.

>Still, nothing.

"...maybe she's not home or something."

>But you're still curious as to who this "Lyra" is, so you knock one last time.

>You hear the muffled sound of frantic hooves making their way to the door.

>Latches and locks clink and grind against each other as whoever lies behind the door unlocks it.

>The metallic sounds cease, and the door slowly opens a crack, and a hint of mint green can be seen.

>"Who is it? What do you want, I'm very busy."

"Uhm.. hi. I was wondering if you-"

>"I'm not buying anything. Try somewhere else."

>She starts to close the door, but you shoot your hand in the way and grab the door, stopping it before it shuts.

"Wait, I'm not selling anything. I wanted to ask you some questions."

>The hints of a quick gasp is heard, and you feel a hoof touch your hand softly.

>"Are... are those..."

>Whatever she's doing to your hand, she's doing it with the utmost care.

>Is she just... feeling it?

>Suddenly your hand gets gripped and you're pulled right through the doorway and into the house.

>The door quickly shuts behind you.

>Wheeling around, you come face to face with a mint green pony, hints of white streaks in her mane, with a lyre cutie mark.

>She was breathing rather... quickly.

>And she couldn't stop staring at you.

>"You.. you're.. real. A-... are you real? Are you real?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah I am. Are you alright?"

>Her breathing quickened as a thin grin spread across her face, her eyes still wide open and taking all of you in.

>"Real. I was right. They thought I was out of my mind, said I was crazy. But here you are. Here. Real. i was right. I WAS RIGHT!"

>She sprints past you to a room at the end of the hallway.

>Following her, you enter the room to find what you can only describe as "shit enducingly creepy.

>There are things all over the walls, practically covering them.

>Newspaper clippings.

>Sketches.

>Blurry photographs.

>All of these were pinned to the walls with tacks, and had red string connecting each piece of information linking it with another.

>Following the web, you see that they all converge in the center of the back wall, where a small space is left blank, save for a white question mark.

>"I knew I wasn't crazy! Humans are real. Real. And now I have one... in my hooouuuusse."

>She giggles maniacally to herself as she sorts through some of the various manila folders on a table.

"So... I take it you're Lyra, then?"

>Lyra spins around, and blushes in embarrassment.

>"Oh, gosh where are my manner. Um, yes, hi. I'm Lyra.. wait how did you know my name?"

>You pull her book out from the inside of your jacket and flash the cover to her.

>She cracks another huge grin and squeals in delight.

>"A human read my book! A HUMAN READ MY BOOK ABOUT HUMANS!"

>She's hopping up and down now, still giggling in delight.

>"Ohmygosh, I have so many questions to ask you! You have no idea what this could do! This is going to redefine all of my findings."

"Uh yeah sure. Yeah, yeah I can answer some questions."

>"Thank you so much ah- What's your name?"

"Anonymous."

>"Really? Fascinating. Your identity insinuates you have no identity. I was expecting something like, "John," or "Phil," but Anonymous works I suppose."

"Well it's not my real name, actually."

>She tilts her head to the side in confusion.

"Let me give you some exposition. I don't know who I am. Not really. So if you have any questions as to WHO I am, then I'm sorry. I can't help you there."

>Lyra frowns and gives a defeated pout.

>Damn that's cute.

>But she brightens up instantly.

>"Okay, that can still work. I'm interested in human culture and habits anyway. Personal history can be put aside for now!"

>She quickly kicks a chair over to you.

>"Well go on, sit!"

>You do, smiling a bit.

>She's so genuinely learning about you.

>Maybe not you as a person, but this was enough you thought.

>Lyra gathers papers up into her lap, a pencil in her mouth as she too takes a seat.

>"Okay, ready?"

>You can't help but stare.

>"Uhm... yes?"

"Oh sorry I... it's just you... you're sitting like... Well you're sitting like me."

>Indeed, Lyra was sitting with her hind legs dangling off the seat, sitting upright.

>"Is that a problem?"

"No it's just... different."

>"I like being different."

"I can see that."

>"Good. Now, first question: Hands. What are they like?"

"Really?"

>She stares at you with such force, a deadpan expression on her face.

>"Do you think this is a motherbucking game?"

"Whu-"

>"Do you think my questions are funny?"

"No I-"

>"Great!"

>An awkward pause surrounds you.

"It's... neat. Having hands is neat."

>Lyra squints here eyes at you for a bit, then diligently writes down what you said.

>"Fascinating."

>You sit in Lyra's room for the next couple of hours, answering her questions and dispelling some of her wilder claims.

>At one point she demanded you remove her clothing to see if the propeller thing was true, but you just showed her your back to get the point across.

>She also showed you a room full of what she considered to be artifacts of human society.

>Gloves, soda bottles, and even a small purple gameboy all sat on shelves, carefully being preserved.

>Lyra was certainly mental, but she was making progress. She was actually getting close to finding more and more about your kind.

>Her determinism was remarkable.

>Trotting up to a small cabinet, she pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment and gave it to you.

>"Roll it open and look, I think it might interest you."

>As you unravel the scroll, you notice that it's a very old, very weathered, inkprint.

>It was the imprint of a hand, with a blank spot in the center of the palm.

>Inside the spot, were words.

 

~It Lies in Ice and Stone, Untouched by Time. Beware, Whoever Dare Enter its Abyss. For the Breath You Take Within Will Surely Be Your Last~

 

"What am I looking at?"

>"It's a scroll. I found it buried in a small box in the Everfree, near a mountain."

"So.. what does it mean? What's thing it talks about, this thing 'In Ice and Stone?'"

>"That's just it, I don't know. Isn't that just exciting?!"

"Considering it's spooky as hell and insinuates we'd die to find out, sure. It's exciting."

>Your sarcasm is palpable.

>Lyra doesn't seem to catch it though.

>"Perfect! Listen, I have a proposition."

>Oh no.

>"I've narrowed the possible locations for this relic the scroll mentions. It must be extremely important if such a warning were given to protect it."

>No.

>"I've made the necessary preparations for an exhibition, but no one around the town really wants to accompany me."

>NO

>"Sine you're human, I was hoping..."

>NO. NO. NO.

>"...that you would like to come with me on this little venture of mine."

>NONONONONONONONO

 

"Sure."