The next day -

It’s a perfect day for an indoors party: the weather was scheduled for rainy until tomorrow morning. Still, this’ll be a good chance to just mingle, have fun, and party. Also, show off, because I can.

I first look out for Vinyl, since we haven’t chatted for a while and I want to show her my new instrument. I think she’ll like it a lot.

I check out the large building booked specifically for the party, and see that Vinyl is over by the stage already, levitating one large box at a time onto the stage itself.

“Heya, Scratch. Gettin’ set up?”

“Yo! Anthony! How’re you doin’, buddy?”

“Fantastic! I even might join you in entertaining the crowd, I got something that is just awesome!” I hold up the lyre.

“Sweet strings! I just need to unpack my gear, if you’ll gimme a sec, we can hang ‘till the party.”

“Awesome, and I’ll get a chance to give these ponies a taste of human music. You might like it.”

“I didn’t know you play, dude. You’ll have to give me a demo once this is all set up.”

“You got it. So, how’s Tavi doing? She back in Canterlot?”

“What, and miss a Pinkie Party of this size? As if. My ‘cuz isn’t party-shy or anything. She’s got a gig this weekend, though.”

“Awesome. I’d like to show her what strings can really do. Well, some strings that is.”

“That must be one hell of a harp to warrant that kind of confidence. Huph, there we go. I just need to plug in these speakers, and I’m all set for the night.” I turn and look at the speakers she’s talking about, each of them almost as tall as I am. They’re all pointed towards the dance floor, and they light up like something out of Tron once they’re plugged in. Best. Party. Ever.

“Well as I said before, it’s not the instrument, it’s the musician. You give it a try.” I hand her the lyre so she can give it a shot, knowing full well it’s going to be far from fantastic.

She puts up a hoof. “Nah, the only strings I’m good with are violins and banjos, and one of those are banned from Canterlot.”

“You play the banjo? Dude, you gotta show me some time. Until then, here’s a song called Points of Authority.”

My hands dip into my Spark’s power, shadows turning to night where they touch the harp. I brush the strings, and the song pours forth. I sing along, my voice altered to sound like it’s coming through a radio in the process. My voice normalizes with the song, and Vinyl watches in awe.

“Dude! that was awesome! I could hear, like, drums and a guitar in there! Man, I don’t know what kind of enchantments you got on that harp-a-ma-jig, but you better hold onto it! That thing must be worth a fortune.” She laughs and elbows me in the hip. “But before we get all serious, how about we get some grub? I know this place that sells the best fish-salad. You eat fish, right?”

“I was worried that unicorns didn’t. Let’s go, I could use a bite to eat. Haven’t eaten in... five days.”

“Woah, man, starvation is no joke. You need to get an assistant - it’s what unicorns who don’t eat tend to do.”

“I don’t need to eat much though.” I Spark up again. “You think this is just a pretty lightshow? Ask the locals, I blew off a demons head!”

“Yeah, dude, there’s been tabloids and newspaper reports for the last month and a half. You’re a big name these days.” Vinyl laughed as she led me out the door. “Anyways, you like milkshakes? It’s been a while since I’ve been in the po-nay-ville, but if Maestro Gourmet still has a restaurant here, then he still owes me a favor. He makes the most awesome milkshakes ever.”

“Heh, yeah I like shakes. I just wonder how long they’ll be able to keep printing news about me when I’ve only done one major thing. Though I guess it is pretty major. You should see some of my fan mail. You ponies are either desperate or just really horny.”

Vinyl laughs. “Well, as you can see by my forehead, I am rather horny. But nah, they’ll keep printing for a while.” She grinned further. “Especially since there’s a rumor running strong that you went on a date with one of the Elements of Harmony, being perpetuated by somepony named ‘Amorous Intent’.”

“Well, I don’t know where he or she gets her info, but it wasn’t a date. Well... no, it wasn’t a date. Besides, the circumstances were a bit different.”

“Ooh? Do tell!” Vinyl flashed me a grin over her glasses, her magenta eyes sparkling. “I can get good money for quashing a rumor. Or giving evidence for it.”

“So could I, probably. Anyway, Twilight tried a spell that was suppose to make me a pony. She messed up and turned Pinkie into a human.” I let that sink in for a moment and continue. “Now, I’m not too crazy about you ponies, but Pinkie as a human? Damn she was fine!” I give her a grin. “But it wasn’t a date.”

“Wow, you sound like one of Octy’s suitors when they think they’re in the clear just ‘cuz they’re near the brash, crass Vinyl Scratch. Heh, man are they wrong.” She chuckles. “Alright, I won’t go spreading that around, too many ponies would just turn into humans and throw themselves atchya.”

“Heh, throwing themselves is easy. Touching me on the other hand...” I Spark up once more and walk through a tree on the side of path. “Now that’s the challenge.”

“Yeah, but imagine having all those grubby, stuffy unicorns-turned-humans passing through you. They’d be touching you in places not meant for contact!” Vinyl points out with a laugh.

“Ya got me there, yeah, I don’t think I want that hassle.”

We get to the restaurant and get a table. “Anyway, I’m gonna go see about cashing in that favor.”

I sit at the table and wait. I hold up the lyre and think about what Twilight said. It’s supposed to be held by a constellation. That pony in the park said her name was Lyra, just like the constellation, and Twilight mentioned that there are stellar creatures... Was that how that Heartstrings mare knew so much about me? She’s a stellar being like me? It would certainly explain a lot... but why give me this? It’s a kickass party trick, but she must have had some reason for it. Maybe Luna would know.

But I don’t care what Luna says or does, I’m definitely keeping this. It’s mine now, and that’s that.

I get a bit bored so I pull out some coal and start messing with it, making it float in front of my face, swirling around as dust or solidifying into various shapes. I just set it aflame and keep it hovering in front of me, staring at the flickering blaze. The coal starts to wear down as the fire eats at it, so I put it out and think about the various uses. I pull out a bit more coal and form it into a simple, three-fingered claw shape. I watch as I make it work it’s joints, opening and closing. I add more coal to it until I’ve used about half my stash.

I make it form a normal human hand, roughly the size of mine. It’s not a perfect representation, but decent enough. I make my floating construct wiggle it’s fingers, form a fist, and use it to give a random pony the finger while they’re turned away. Heh.

I look to the table and I see the salt and pepper shakers. I have the hand float over and it picks up the salt shaker with just as much precision as a normal human. I have the coal-hand hold up the shaker and then set it down, switching to the pepper, which I order the hand to drop into my normal human palm, which it does, obviously. Turning back to the hand, I reshape the fingers, making them thinner and more curved, making a set of claws. I don’t know why, but I feel mesmerized by my control over it. I mean it’s expected, it’s coal after all, but I’ve never made something like a hand before. Something so complex and intricate, yet simple in shape...

The way I can just... order it to move, to wave, pick things up as if it were a part of me. It’s hypnotic, like I’m connected to hit. Like it’s my hand. But that illusion is shattered once I have it pick up the salt shaker and there’s no nervous signal of me holding it. Of course there isn’t, it’s not even connected to me, and yet... that doesn’t matter. It’s still me controlling it. Then I realize something.

If I’d have thought of this earlier, I could have fixed Granny Smith’s sink without even touching that disgusting sludge! I mentally facepalm, but unfortunately, my coal-hand thinks I gave it an order, and I end up smacking myself in the face with a piece of coal, which then falls to my lap now that I’m not thinking about it holding up. I guess I need a bit more practice with this ‘focus’ thing than I thought.

Next Chapter: Chapter 55 Estimated time remaining: 27 Hours, 42 Minutes