EPISODE TWO

TALENT HUNT!

LYRA'S DORM ROOM

The sun was just starting to rise when Lyra's eyes slowly started to drift open. Letting out a long, drawn-out yawn, she looked to her right, and kicked her hooves out of her bed, only to freeze in place, and raise her ears up. She didn't remember a creature that growled the same way as the creature she was hearing.

Then, once she looked down at the source of the growling, she sighed heavily at the sight before her.

The growling was none other than Justin's loud snoring, as he slept on the pile of hay spread out for him on the floor. Lyra's basket of neatly folded clothes was next to him on the floor, rested between his left arm and his stomach. His right hand was lying on his stomach, and his mouth was wide open, as each passing snore that he made surrounded the entire room in a similar growling manner.

Shortly after staring at the sight before her for another few seconds, Lyra looked at the doorway, and noticed that a letter was lying at the doorway. Without hesitation, she levitated it up to her, and began reading the contents of the letter. Then, with a loud gasp, she turned to Justin, and lightly (yet painfully) kicked him on the side. "Get up, Monkey! You have to get me ready for a personal visit to Principal Nightmare Moon!"

"Ugh... good morning to you too, Horse." Justin grumbled, which caused Lyra's eyes to widen, and a glare to form on her face.

"W-WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Lyra finally managed to speak, which caused Justin's eyes to open.

"Well, you called me 'Monkey', so I called you 'Horse'. I have a name, you know... and it's Justin."

THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE

Nightmare Moon was sorting through the files in her cabinets, when the door to her office gently creaked open; catching her attention. When she turned around to see who her visitor was, she smiled widely as the student that she summoned stepped in. "Ah! We welcome you, Misses Heartstrings!" Then she raised an eyebrow out of confusion. "We hate to ask, but... where is your familiar at?"

Lyra turned around and replied, "I sent him out to socialize with the other familiars... and recover from a few wounds that he received."

"Wounds?! What, pray tell, happened to your familiar?"

"I... might've punished him for insulting me... a little too much for him to handle."

CMA INFIRMARY

Justin was lying in a medical bed with countless scorch marks and bruises all over his body. Despite the injuries, though, he was nervously smiling while telling himself, "Note to self... calling a pony a 'horse' is a bad thing to do..."

Suddenly, the door to the room that he was in swung open, and in ran Fluttershy with a worried look on her face. "Oh my goodness! Justin, are you okay?! A little birdie told me that she saw you resting in the infirmary, so I came as quick as I could!"

With a light chuckle (knowing that, when she says 'a little birdie told her', it is more than likely literal), Justin replied, "Huh? Oh, hey Fluttershy! Yeah, I'm fine! Just a couple burns, bruises, cuts, and possible fractures in my bones... perhaps even a few punctures in my lungs... but nothing too serious for me to handle, though!"

Fluttershy sighed before closing her eyes and shaking her head. "Ooh, why would Lyra even do such a thing to you?!"

Justin shrugged his shoulders before replying, "Eh, I kinda had it coming since I did call her a horse... even though she called me a monkey first."

That statement caused Fluttershy's eyes to widen. "W-wait... you called her a... a horse?!"

"In my defense, I'm not really sure about the customs of this world yet. I mean, it's obvious I'm no longer in my world, since it has, according to what my people would've called, anthropomorphic h-err... ponies, and what-not... and that doesn't even exist in my world. It's completely run by humans like me."

With a nod, Fluttershy replied, "Well... as long as you didn't mean anything cruel by calling her a 'horse', then it's okay. You see, horses are considered the ponies that lived in caves hundreds of thousands of years ago."

"(Ah, so horses are cavemen to ponies... but there has to be a reason why Lyra acted as rough as she did on me just now...)" Justin thought to himself, until Fluttershy continued, almost as if she read his mind.

"Ever since she was just a little filly, Lyra has always shown a fascination with humans... which pretty much gave her a bad reputation. In fact, it became so bad, that the other ponies actually started calling her a 'horse', referring to the fact that she is always obsessed with legends, and ancient writings from the caves that the horses once lived in... only a few ponies actually chose to associate with her and become her friends; namely her current sister-in-law, Bon-Bon, and her friend Minuette."

When Fluttershy finished, Justin's smile was already a serious expression. "So she was bullied when she was little?" Fluttershy nodded her head, which made Justin sigh. "Well, now I feel like a jerk for insulting her like that... even if she did insult me first."

"If there's anything I know about Lyra, it's that her history of being constantly bullied has given her a sense of pride... so don't expect her to react positively to an apology in public... but please, do understand that she will accept it, regardless... even if she doesn't show it."

Justin nodded his head and slowly stood up... only to fall back down and grunt in pain. "Ow! Well, I don't think I'll be moving around much today... or for the next few weeks..."

"Hm? OH, RIGHT! I almost forgot!" Fluttershy quickly reached into the nearest cabinet in the room and pulled out a small brown cloth bag with a thin string tied on top. "I have an herbal remedy that should make your wounds go away in no time!"

As she opened the bag and started to sprinkle the contents (green and golden powder) over Justin, he lightly chuckled and said, "Really, Fluttershy... it's fine! Besides, I'm not even sure the powder can... huh?!" As soon as he felt the powder make contact with his wounds, he felt significantly healthier... almost instantly refreshed from any pain. Then, once he looked down, his eyes widened at the sight before him... his wounds were completely gone!

"H-how did you..." Justin began, before turning to Fluttershy, and smiling. "Th-thank you!"

Fluttershy smiled warmly before turning around. "Oh, it's alright... I couldn't stand watching a friend hurting, after all..."

"Wait... friend?"

"But of course!" She tilted her head in confusion. "We are friends, aren't we?"

Justin merely popped his forehead and smiled. "Oh, sorry! That was rude of me... of course, we're friends! It's just... I haven't really had much friends back in my world, so I'm still new to this sort of thing."

Fluttershy nodded her head and smiled once again. "I understand. I haven't really made any friends besides the woodland critters before Twilight moved to Ponyville a couple months ago."

The name of the place caused Justin to tilt his head in confusion. "Ponyville? Can't say I've heard of that place before... but then again, I've just gotten here yesterday, so I guess that's to be expected." Then he looked around and lightly chuckled. "In fact, I can't say that I know where I am now, come to think of it."

With a nod, Fluttershy offered, "Really?! Well, if you want, I can tell you... and show you around. That is, if you want me to."

Justin then stood from the bed and nodded his head once more. "I'd love that! Thank you, Fluttershy!"

With that, the two of them walked out of the room, and into the halls of the academy, while Fluttershy spoke of the major events that she and her friends she made from Ponyville went through, all the way up to their latest achievement for their 'Friendship Reports' (which were the main goals for each event)... the 'Nightmare Night' incident, where their academy's new principal, Nightmare Moon, visited Ponyville for the first time, after a month of being reformed, which began shortly after her separation from Princess Luna's body (an unexpected side-effect from the elements of Harmony being used on her).

CMA OUTDOOR RESTING AREA

As soon as Fluttershy finished telling Justin the story of her friends' trials and triumphs, the two of them were already in the outdoor resting area, sitting at a formerly unoccupied table.

"So you're saying that when these 'Elements of Harmony' were used on Princess Luna, the force that made her evil was separated from her body, and returned in the form of a completely new person?" Justin asked before taking a sip of water from a glass that rested on the table.

Fluttershy nodded her head. "Yes, and after a month of convincing her to join the good side, she decided to accept. If it wasn't for us showing her how much we appreciate the night, though, I doubt if any of it would've been possible."

Justin nodded his head in understanding. "And now, that very same person happens to run this academy?"

Again, Fluttershy nodded her head. "That's right."

At that statement, Justin hummed to himself, and rested his face on his hand. Then he let out a long, drawn-out sigh, which caught Fluttershy's attention. Before she could even ask what was wrong, however, Justin already decided to change the subject. "Sorry, I've just been thinking about Lyra again. I mean, I know that she's been bullied all her life because of her beliefs on humanity, but... I don't know, shouldn't she be more happy that I'm real, and not... I don't know... angry?"

Fluttershy shrugged her shoulders before replying, "Well... sometimes, you have to put yourself in the other's shoes to truly understand."

For a short moment, Justin looked up, and considered her words, while clicking everything together. Finally, the realization hit him. "She's been confident that humans were real since she was little... but last night, she..."

("But according to the 'Examination Spell' that Princess Celestia used on all familiars, you're considered the weakest of all familiars... in fact, even a foal could beat you in a fight!") Lyra's voice echoed through his mind.

"Knowing that her childhood idol turned out to be weaker than she believed... must've taken a toll on her, huh?" Justin looked at Fluttershy for confirmation.

She nodded her head and smiled. Then she was about to speak, but before she can, Lyra's voice boomed through the yard.

"THERE YOU ARE! WHERE THE HAY HAVE YOU BEEN?! I'VE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR YOU!" As soon as the two of them noticed Lyra, Justin smiled and waved at her.

Unfortunately, though, the two of them had different ideas in mind with how they would greet each other. For starters, Lyra wasn't looking even the slightest bit happy... which led to Justin getting lifted off of his seat, and levitated over Lyra, who began walking towards the training grounds of the academy. "Whoa, Lyra! What're you doing?!"

With an annoyed grunt, Lyra retorted, "That's 'Misses Lyra Heartstrings' to you, bub! And we're going to figure out your talent, so we can actually stand a chance next week! Understood?"

With a sigh, Justin nodded his head and replied, "Alright, alright! Sheesh!"

As the two headed away, Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle at the sight, before continuing to drink her drink that rested on the table.

CMA TRAINING AREA

Lyra groaned and complained, as she and Justin stood in the back of the line of students with their familiars. Directly in front of them was none other than Blueblood, who continuously poked fun at Lyra for having such a pathetic excuse for a familiar... something that Justin was pretending not to understand. He continued focusing on Lyra's reactions which were, surprisingly, calmer than Justin felt like he would've been able to feel.

Finally, Blueblood's turn came up. As he walked away, Lyra looked away from him, and towards Justin. "Listen, Justin... I don't expect to win, anyways... so when we're called up there, just... just bow your head and walk on. Please..."

As she asked that, Justin noticed tears starting to fall from her eyes. At once, he had flashbacks of his childhood, and all the times that he had been bullied. Feeling helpless in the situation, however, he weakly nodded his head and looked on towards the wooden stage beyond the curtain at their direct left. To their right was a stone wall that led to the gates outside the academy.

When Blueblood was finished, however, a hint of rage built up in Justin's mind, as he heard him say in a microphone, "Up next, I do hope you all brought popcorn... and blast-protective equipment! I'm sure you all know who I'm talking about!" Then, he only felt even more disgusted when he heard loud laughter coming from outside.

"What an idiot... we'll show 'em! Won't we, Lyra?" Justin asked, before turning to her. Then, his eyes widened as he realized that Lyra was now curled up on the ground, crying in her knees in a fetal position. That... was the final straw.

As soon as Blueblood walked back in, he was still lightly chuckling... and he even gave a sly smile as he walked past Lyra. When he made it to Justin, however, he stopped as soon as Justin grabbed his shirt's left sleeve with his left arm, and said in a surprisingly calmed manner, "Apologize to her..."

"Huh?! HEY! UNHAND ME, YOU FILTHY MONKEY!" Blueblood shouted, only for Justin to look him in the eyes, and reveal his angered expression.

In a more aggressive tone, Justin repeated, "I said... APOLOGIZE to her!"

"H-HEY! GET YOUR FILTHY, WRETCHED, SWEAT-COVERED HAND OFF OF ME THIS INSTANT!" Blueblood continued to struggle, until Lyra ran up between the two, and pulled Justin off of him.

"JUSTIN! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?! DO YOU NOT REALIZE WHO THIS IS?!" Lyra shouted, before turning to Blueblood and bowing her head down. "I'm so sorry, P-"

"ENOUGH OF THIS! GUARDS, GET IN HERE, NOW!" Blueblood shouted in a loud, booming voice. At once, the curtains fell, and at once, several ponies clad in white and gold armor ran up to the scene, and grabbed both Justin and Lyra by the arms, while Blueblood glared at Justin. "Take them both to the prison at once! I want the hairless monkey executed, and its master thrown in the darkest dungeon at once!"

The guards nodded their heads and saluted him, before they began to drag both Lyra and Justin away...

...That is, until Justin decided to speak up. "What's the matter? Are you too afraid to fight me yourself?!"

That statement made Blueblood's eyes widen, and the large crowd that was once hidden by the curtains to gasp in shock. "HOLD YOUR POSITIONS!" Blueblood shouted to the guards, and at once, they stopped escorting their two prisoners, and turned to their leader. "You think I'm scared of you, money?"

With a smug grin on his face, Justin nodded his head and replied, "Yep! In fact, I doubt if you even have the courage to make a little wager!"

Blueblood stood there silently for a moment, before bursting into laughter... followed by his snobby friends that were gathered behind him. "Oh, Lyra! Where did you pick this thing up from, exactly?!" Then he stopped his laughing, but still had an amused expression on his face. "Very well, then... humor me!"

"First of all, Lyra had nothing to do with my actions, so she doesn't deserve to go to prison... so I wager her freedom and my life, and in exchange, you wager your attitude towards her!"

Blueblood raised an eyebrow. "My attitude? Please, do explain!"

With a serious expression, Justin clarified, while Lyra looked up at him with as much shock and confusion in her expression as everyone else. "As long as you live, you are not to insult her anymore! In fact, you will treat her more nicely, and start off by apologizing to her, right after I kick your ass!" Then the entirety of the crowd gasped as his use of profanity.

"Ugh, what an uncouth and vulgar mouth you have! Very well, then... but... to add to your wager for if I win... you will both be executed!" That statement caused the entire crowd to gasp in shock. From within the crowd, Twilight's eyes shot open at that statement, as she and five of her friends started heading towards the feud.

Instantly, Lyra shook her head and shouted, "N-no, NO! JUSTIN! I ORDER YOU TO NOT ACCEPT THAT REQUEST!"

As if he hadn't heard her, Justin merely grinned mischievously before pointing his right finger at Blueblood and replying, "Deal! Where, and when?!"

After returning the mischievous expression, Blueblood replied, "The stage, and now!"

With a nod, the two of them headed towards the stage, while the crowd started to cheer... though mostly for Blueblood. Meanwhile, Lyra was being comforted by six of her friends from Ponyville; two fellow unicorns, two pegasi, and two earth ponies.

CMA FAMILIAR SHOW : STAGE

Tension was high, and the crowd quickly grew silent. From the center of the stage, a guard stood with a spear and a shield held up, with the spear pointed outward as a dividing line between the two combatants, despite their far distance from each other.

After clearing his throat, the guard began speaking the rules. "Alright, then! This will be a no-holds duel! The two combatants are to either fight until the other one dies, or until the other one yields! If the combatant yields, then he or she is no longer able to attack the other! Doing so will result in severe punishment by Principal Nightmare Moon, or Princess Celestia, should the case be severe!" Then he looked both ways and asked, "Are both combatants ready?!"

"I'm ready!"

"To kick this clown's ass? I was born ready!"

The guard winced at the human's choice of words. "(Ugh, where did this creature come from? The Badlands?!) Alright, then! Three... two... one..." Then he raised his spear up and shouted, "BEGIN!"

As soon as he finished his statement, Justin charged head-on, while Blueblood merely stood there with his arms crossed over his chest. Then, Justin raised his right fist, aimed at socking Blueblood right square in the mouth.

Suddenly, when he was just a few meters away, Justin failed to notice the floor beneath him crack, until it was too late. When he was within range, Blueblood's iron golem broke from the ground, and landed a strong punch directly in Justin's stomach, which caused him to stop in place, and fall to his knees in agony. Then, without even sparing a second, the golem picked up up off the ground, and threw him back to the opposite end of the stage, where he rolled a few times, and lied there on the ground, wheezing for air.

"JUSTIN!" Lyra shouted, before running up to his side, and checking his health. After sighing with relief that he was still alive, and even somehow still conscious, she stated, "Now do you understand?! He's Prince Blueblood! In other words, he's the adopted nephew of none other than Princess Celestia, herself!"

"G... get out of the way, Lyra... I'm fine..." Justin stated between breaths, before slowly rising back up to his feet... something that took the entire crowd by surprise. "B-besides... I wouldn't even care if he were the king of some country!"

Blueblood smirked at the human, before humming to himself. "Well, you seem to show quite an astounding amount of endurance! Very well, then... I'm feeling merciful, so how about another wager?"

Lyra looked at him and asked, "W-what? What is it?!"

"If the monkey can bow his head and apologize for assaulting me, I shall forgive both of you, and void all charges... yet if he refuses, then I'll just have to go full-force on him!"

"O-okay! I'll do it!" Lyra pleaded, only for Justin to weakly smile and chuckle.

"You must be out of your mind, Blue-balls! I'd rather die before I would even think of bowing to a coward like you!" Justin's statement caused the entire crowd's jaws to drop... surprisingly, even Blueblood's.

"You... are perhaps the biggest fool in the world!" Then he pointed at his iron golem and yelled, "FULL SPEED! I WANT HIM BROKEN, AND BEGGING FOR MERCY!" In a blur, the golem was in front of Justin once more. Before anyone could react, the golem lifted Justin up over its head and jumped up high in the air. Then, in the center of the stage, it hurled Justin downward at a fast speed, causing the wood to crack beneath him... along with several of his bones.

In a loud grunt of pain, Justin yelped, before the golem landed directly over his shoulders and lifted him up off the ground once more. Then it punched him in the stomach with its left fist, which sent him flying back towards his side of the battleground, which left Lyra and her friends wide-eyed and slack-jawed. The crowd, however, was enjoying the show, and cheering for "Steel", who happened to be Blueblood's Familiar.

As soon as Justin stopped rolling, he merely lied there motionless, while Steel stood there, awaiting Blueblood's orders. Blueblood merely chuckled, before turning around. "Such a waste of time... come on, Steel. Let's-"

"W-where d-do you think.. you're going?!" Justin weakly interrupted, causing Blueblood's eyes to widen once more, and him to stop in place, along with his familiar.

As soon as Blueblood turned around, he noticed Justin slowly stood back up, even though his entire body was practically covered in scrapes, bruises, and large amounts of blood. "H-how... how are you still standing?!" he finally asked, only for Lyra to run to Justin's side, and grab his left hand.

"NO, JUSTIN! It isn't worth it, anymore! Just give up already! You fought well, but this is going way too far!" She pleaded.

Without even looking at her, Justin merely replied, "You know... I was in the same boat as you once, before..."

"Huh?" Lyra looked at him confusedly, before opening her mouth to speak. Instead, though, Justin merely looked at her, revealing the tears in his eyes.

"It's true, I'm physically weak... it's true, I don't have any special talents... it's true that I'm practically throwing my life away by merely accepting this duel... but you know what? I was bullied, too!" That statement caused Lyra to gasp, and back up a couple steps. Then Justin looked back at Blueblood, and continued. "Yes, I can't cast magic... yes, I can't fly... yes, I can easily be overpowered by a mere child... but even against those odds, I'm gonna still refuse to bow to you... and I'm still gonna protect Lyra from punks like you... because that's what a familiar is supposed to do, isn't it?!" From behind Lyra, Twilight and her friends seemed to have small tears forming in their eyes, as they watched the underpowered human standing up to Prince Blueblood.

Blueblood stood there, still with a shocked expression on his face. Silence then filled the entire area, while Justin stood there; clearly final on his decision. Then, Blueblood's expression turned into a smile. "Very well, then... Steel!" At once, the iron golem rushed up to Justin. In-between the rush, however, it materialized a thick metal mace in its right hand, and lifted it up high, ready to pummel Justin into a bloody pulp.

"Stand down!"

At once, the iron golem stopped mid-swing (directly over Justin's forehead by mere inches), and quickly flew backwards, and to Blueblood's left. Then Blueblood raised his right hand and said, "I yield." The entire crowd gasped at that statement.

The guard that stood as the referee looked at him confusedly before asking, "P-Prince Blueblood! Are you serious?!"

Blueblood merely nodded his head and turned to Lyra. "Lyra... please do accept my apologies for insulting you. As a prince, I vow never to do so again." Then he turned to Justin, who also looked at him confusedly. "Monk-err... I mean... Justin. If there's anything that I know about strength in one's familiar... it's that the ones like you... the ones who have the freedom of choice... are a rarity. Even so, though, you still stood firm in protecting your master, regardless of the odds being stacked against you... and for that, you have shown true strength that far exceeds even my own!" Then he walked up to Justin, and held his right hand out, which Justin stared at blankly and confusedly. "Perhaps next time we meet, it can be on better terms... and perhaps we can spar together, so that next time we duel, you might stand a chance!"

Justin looked at his hand once more, before weakly smiling and nodding his head. Before he could lift his right hand, however, he felt the world around him spinning, and blurring out. Before he could even say a single word, he fell to the floor, right as everything went dark.

CMA INFIRMARY

Slowly, Justin's vision began to come back to him. When his eyes were fully opened, he found himself lying in a familiar hospital bed. The only difference, however, is that there was already a guest in the room waiting to see him... Lyra. She was sitting on a seat pulled up close to his bed, and lying on the foot of the bed, more than likely asleep.

"Lyra? What're you doing here?" Justin weakly asked, which caused Lyra's ears to twitch at the sudden sound.

Before a full second could pass after her ears' twitch, she raised up from the spot, and looked at Justin, revealing her wide, red, and tear-filled eyes. "J-Justin?!" Then, her saddened expression quickly turned to anger, before she stood back up, raised her right hand, and slapped Justin across the face, yelling, "YOU STUPID LITTLE MONKEY!"

"OW! LYRA, WHAT THE HELL?!" Justin complained before rubbing his left cheek, which now had a red hand-print marked on it.

"DON'T YOU EVER WORRY ME LIKE THAT AGAIN! UNDERSTOOD?!"

With his eyes closed and his eyebrows half-lowered out of pain, replied, "G-got it..." Then, his eyes opened widely. "Wait, you were worried about me?!" That earned him a lighter slap on the forehead, which was still painful to him, nonetheless. "OW!"

"Well, duh! You're my familiar, which means I have to take care of you! It's considered a complete disgrace for a master to ignore its familiar's needs, after all! Add to that the fact that you've been unconscious for three whole days!"

"Wait... three days?!" Justin asked confusedly.

Before any more words could be spoken, the door to the room started to knock. Lyra stood from her seat and answered it, only for a yellow and pink blur to shoot right past her, and right next to Justin. The next thing Justin knew, he was being suffocated by the chest of none other than Fluttershy, herself.

"Oh my goodness! I saw the whole thing! Are you feeling alright? Did the herbal powder do enough for you, or do you need more?"

"(I think I found the Pearly Gates of Heaven...)" Justin thought to himself, as his face was completely covered to hide his wide grin.

Suddenly, another pegasus mare flew in, and asked in a tomboyish accent, "Well well! Looks like Fluttershy's found herself a possible love candidate!"

At that statement, Fluttershy's eyes widened, as she realized the position that Justin was in. Then she quickly pulled him away from her chest, and turned towards the source of the voice with her cheeks as red as tomatoes. Lyra, on the other hand, was staring at Justin's wide grin with a glint of mayhem in her eyes. "O-oh! H-hello there, Rainbow Dash! N-no, it's... it isn't what you think!"

When his senses finally came back to him, Justin looked to his left, towards the source that's now known as "Rainbow Dash".

Rainbow Dash was a pegasus mare with purplish magenta eyes, a light blue/cyan coat and, as her name may suggest, a rainbow-colored mane that looked frazzled and loose, along with her tail. She wore a light blue tracksuit and a sleeveless white v-neck shirt that, if positioned correctly, could risk revealing a little too much of her chest to anyone she would choose. Her chest, of course, wasn't as big as Fluttershy's, but even so, it wasn't anything to take lightly, either.

Justin felt his heart race as he noticed her chest. Sure, it wasn't as big as Fluttershy's, but even so, it was still close to being exposed... something Rainbow Dash noticed right away. Rather than appear embarrassed, however, she merely caught Justin off guard by asking in a seductive voice, "Ooh, you like what you see, big guy?"

That statement caused Justin's eyes to widen before he closed his eyes and shook his head. "S-SORRY! I'M NOT TRYING TO BE RUDE, OR ANYTHING, BUT YOU LOOK... KINDA HOT, NO OFFENSE!" He, of course, was sweating bullets at that point, and avoiding eye contact.

Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, tilted her head, before a mischievous smile formed on her face. "Hey, Fluttershy! Your friend looks nervous! I think he needs another hug!"

When Fluttershy looked from Rainbow Dash to Justin, her eyes widened at the sight of him being in fear. "Goodness, you are nervous! Shh..." At once, she hugged him once more, only this time, she was more considerate of where her breasts were... much to Rainbow Dash's disappointment, as it was against her plan. "It's alright... there's nothing to be afraid of!"

"No, Fluttershy, not like that!" Then, Rainbow Dash flew on the opposite end of Fluttershy's side (which was at Justin's left shoulder) and grabbed a hold of his head. After that, she pulled his head up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around his left shoulder. "Like this! Now you try!" With a nod, Fluttershy complied, completely unaware of what kind of action she was doing, due to her not being used to communicating with anyone other than mares or occasional stallions like Big McIntosh... but even then, she wasn't familiar with hugging stallions. Since she was familiar with "group hugs", however, she was more than willing to listen to Rainbow Dash.

Justin, on the other hand, found his head caught between four obstacles.

"(Looks like the Pearly Gates really are next to the sky!)" Justin thought to himself, as his stupefied smile was plastered on his face. (One would even assume it was even twenty percent wider at that point in time).

"So... just kinda hot, huh?" Rainbow teased, which only made Justin's nose start to bleed.

"M-maybe I... cut out a little of the details by mistake?"

Suddenly, a light blue aura covered Rainbow Dash's left ear, which made her raise an eyebrow out of confusion. Then, without warning, she was pulled off of the bed, and towards the doorway, where the white-coated unicorn, Rarity, stood there... much to her disapproval. "Ow! Rarity, that hurts!"

Rarity, on the other hand, deadpanned at her before replying, "Oh hush now, darling! Couldn't you at least be more considerate of our new friend here? I'm quite positive that he's already going through enough trouble adapting to this place as is! Am I right?" When she looked at Justin, however, her expression turned blank when she saw what Justin was staring at... her "Fluttershy Sized" breasts.

"(Looks like the sky has a huge cloud infestation... holy crap!)"

Rarity nervously chuckled before bringing her right hand in-between his view, pointing upwards, and saying, "He he he... um... eyes up here, darling." That seemed to snap Justin out of his stupor.

Now sweating profusely, he blurted out, "S-SORRY!"

Rarity nodded her head and smiled at him. "Oh, don't worry, darling. You wouldn't be the only one who's eyes were misguided." Then she walked up to him and stretched her right hand out. "My name is Rarity... it is a pleasure to meet you in person, Mr. Justin."

That statement caused Justin's eyes to widen. "W-wait, how do you know my name?"

Rainbow Dash butted in and answered for them. "Well, duh! You're, like, considered the hottest topic right now! Standing up to Princess Celestia's nephew like that without any special powers?! I gotta say you've got guts, kid!"

"Kid?! I'm twenty five years old!" Justin retorted, which caused all mares to gasp... especially Lyra.

Before anyone else could say anything, Lyra groaned before levitating Justin out of his bed, much to his disapproval. "H-hey! What the- Lyra?! What's going on?!"

"No familiar of mine is going to be a fully grown adult incapable of taking on at least a foal! Come on, we're gonna go find your real talent, now!"

"But Lyraaaaaa! I was in the middle of something!"

"Don't you 'but Lyra' me! If you're gonna be my familiar, you've gotta start somewhere!" Then she deadpanned at him. "Good gosh, it's like talking to a child! And you're sure you're a fully grown adult?!"

With a chuckle, Justin replied, "Hey! Growing up is only optional!"

At that statement, Lyra groaned before replying in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, great! Twenty five, going on two! I'm looking forward to finding your talent now!"

After letting out a yawn, Justin turned around and noticed his new friends standing outside his hospital room with looks of confusion on their faces. With a nervous smile, Justin shrugged his shoulders before waving goodbye at them, while they, in turn, waved back at him. "(Well... I guess I'll just have to roll with it... and since it's just searching for my talents, how hard could it be?)"