Ch. 12: Questions Exchange

As Sweetie Drops closes the doors to the Presidential Office, Lyra hides behind a beam as she prepares herself before confronting the human.

Lyra: *Whispers to self* "Okay, Lyra, don't take 'no' for an answer... 'Look, I have some questions for you and I am not leaving this planet until they're answered.' Yeah, that's good..."

Lyra dashes out from the beam in hopes of surprising the human, but Sweetie Drops is somehow nowhere to be found. As Lyra slowly and cautiously trots forward, Sweetie Drops stealthily catches Lyra off-guard from behind and covers her mouth.

Sweetie Drops: *whispers to Lyra's ear* "I have some questions for you, and you are NOT leaving this planet until they are answered..!"

Lyra: *confused* "Y-yeah, well I- okay..--"

Sweetie Drops: "Shh... Follow me..!"

Lyra and Sweetie seem to want the same thing as they covertly exit the building's perimeter and into an aircraft boneyard.

Sweetie Drops: *eager tone* "Oh, there's so much to ask about your world..! You're some sort of scholar, aren't you?"

Sweetie pulls Lyra down from being stuck on top of a grounded aircraft's rusted wing.

Sweetie Drops: "Well, judging from your appearance and knack of note-writing you're suited for nothing else!"

Sweetie begins to shoot off random questions in excitement as she examines Lyra's stature.

Sweetie Drops: "What's your place of origin? When did the wormhole appear? How did y-"

Lyra: *cuts off Sweetie* "Wa-wait wait, hold on a second; I have some questions for you too, so let's start off with mine, then you then me then- well, you know.."

Sweetie Drops: "Very well. What's your first question?"

Lyra: "Okay, first question, well uh.. how did you get here? I mean, not you personally, but your- your species; I mean, how did all of this... end up far all the way here?"

Sweetie Drops: "It is said privately that a force came stuck in the link between our worlds. It caused a cosmic cataclysm and violently severed the link which banished us here. And then.. a bright light, like a star, emitting around this city."

She appears to sadden her expression.

Sweetie Drops: "My dad said it pulled my mom into it... I never saw her again."

Lyra: "I'm sorry... If it's any consolation.. I know how you feel because I lost my- Wait a minute, WHOA, BACK UP!" *becomes confused* "You mean to tell me you remember because you were there!? No no that is impossible, because that would make you... you know, eighteen, twenty-one... hundred years old!"

Sweetie Drops: *confused* "It's happened.. almost two decades ago."


Lyra: *facially expresses her maximum confusion* ".... a-alright, well, pfft... l-looking good... um... y-you got a question for me?"

Sweetie Drops: "Yes. What brought you into this place?"

Lyra: "Oh, well it wasn't easy! If it weren't for this Journal, we wouldn't have made it here."

Lyra presents the glimmering Interstellar Journal to Sweetie. Sweetie examines its pages baffled.

Lyra: "Okay, my next question: Stories and legends say your species provided a power source of some kind; do you know--"

Sweetie Drops: *interrupts examining the Journal's schematics* "You mean you can understand this...?"

Lyra: "Yes, I am a part-time cartographer, it's what I do; It's my job. Now back to my questi--"

Sweetie Drops: *interrupts again while shoving the schematic pages in front of Lyra* "This, right here!! You can read this!?"

Lyra: *nervous* "Yes- yes, I can read cosmic schematics just like you!"

Sweetie Drops looks back at the pages appearing stumped.

Lyra: "... you... can't, can you?"

Sweetie Drops: "No one can. Such knowledge of interstellar travel has been lost to us since the time of the 'Cosmic Bombardment'."

Lyra: "Oh, the- the Link Severing."

Sweetie Drops: *gives the Journal back* "Show me."

Lyra: *Clears her throat as she reads the schematics out loud to Sweetie* "You go past the planets of our system past these cluster of comets..."

Sweetie Drops: *slowly catching on* "... you then follow through the Equine constellation..."

Lyra and Sweetie: *in unison* "... there you will find the Horsehead Nebula."

Lyra: "Yes! How was my comprehension?"

Sweetie Drops: "Boorish, provincial, and you speak it fresh out of your head."

Lyra: "Yeah, gotta.. gotta work on that."

Sweetie Drops: *takes Lyra by the hoof* "Now, let me show you something."

Sweetie drags Lyra to an unknown object concealed under a huge cover, which Sweetie then pulls off to reveal what appears to be a sort of device with a coil around its base.

Lyra: *examines device* "Wow... it kind of looks like.. some sort of generator."

Sweetie Drops: "Yes. But no matter WHAT I try, it will not respond! Perhaps if--"

Lyra: *interrupts* "Wait- hold on, let me have a look here..."

Lyra closely examines the strange generator and finds a barely readable manual on its side.

Lyra: *reads the manual* "Okay, 'Insert key into slot'..."

Sweetie Drops: *sounding agitated* "Yes, yes, I've done that!"

Lyra: *taps a pressure plate on the device with her hoof* "'Gently place hand on pressure pad...'"

Sweetie Drops: "Yes!"

Lyra: "Okay, did you turn that handle half-through right then a quarter turn back?"

Sweetie Drops: "Yes, YES!"

Lyra: "WHILE your hand was on the pressure pad?"

Sweetie Drops: "YE-... no."

Lyra: *grins* "... well, there's your problem right there; that's an easy thing to miss! I mean, you deserve a lot of credit for getting this far!" *chuckles*

Sweetie Drops seems unamused.

Lyra: "... oookay uh, give it a try."

Sweetie pulls out her skeleton key and inserts it into the device's key slot, presses on the pressure pad and turns the handle half-through right then a quarter turn back while keeping her hand on the pad. The generator responds and powers up an electrical field, suddenly creating an impenetrable blue energy bubble. Lyra and Sweetie seem very impressed.

Sweetie Drops: "Oh my stars...!"

Lyra: "Hehe, you got that right...!"

They closely examine the active generator.

Lyra: "Wow, this is amazing! With this, we can get through obstacles in no time at all! Wonder what else it does...-" *presses a button*

As Lyra presses the button, the generator suddenly shoots the shield bubble as a live laser round which ricochets around the boneyard, barely misses Sweetie Drops and Lyra as they immediately drop to cover, and finally hits and destroys the generator. As the generator loses power, Sweetie looks at Lyra as the pony nervously chuckles.

Lyra: "eh hehe... so... who's hungry?"

After the discovery and friendly fire fiasco, Sweetie Drops leads Lyra to hiking to the top of a tall time-worn structure.

Lyra: *hiking*"By the way... we haven't properly introduced ourselves! My name's Lyra!"

Sweetie Drops: *hiking* "I am Special Agent Sweetie Drops."

Lyra: *hiking* "S-Special Agent 'Sleety Trots'... heh.. hey, you got a nickname?"

Sweetie Drops: *pulls up Lyra by the hoof giggling* "... Bon Bon."

Lyra: "Okay. Bon Bon. I can remember that!"

Lyra and Bon Bon reach the summit of the structure.

Lyra: *amazed* "... wow..."

Lyra gazes at the beautiful breathtaking view of the city and beyond showing the skyscrapers, roads and more worn structures like the one they are on top of surrounding the city. Lyra seems emotionally overwhelmed and happily sheds a tear.

Bon: *notices* "... what's wrong?"

Lyra: "Oh uh, nothing, it's just.." *sniffs and wipes tear off* "... got something in my eye. ... You know, my grandmare has told me stories about this place for as long as I can remember. ... I just wish she'd be standing here with me."

Lyra and Bon Bon smile as they gaze at the view.