Author's Notes:

Number of Edits: 6
Number of OCs: ? (someone suggested you know who in this chapter to fit batmare)

Doom Companion: hoof in the door?

Of Man, Lyrical Lyre and Ponies
[Maretropolis - Filly Glade Apartment: Lyra’s Kitchen – Afterwards]
[Doctor Doom’s – Perspective]

Sighing I look across the dinner table seeing a both blushing and embarrassed disheveled Lyra Heartstrings, after the apparent mistake on my part which earned me embarrassment in return as she thought I was being a naughty ‘colt’ in her view. Looking back on it now, it was rather stupid to look in her closest for any crazy shrine of horrors or trophies to be hidden there, which was NOT what I found when going into her closest.

[Lyra’s Bedroom]

It was rather innocent looking in her bedroom, a book shelf with books and photo albums, a queen size bed with a stitched ‘I Heart Humans’ on a body pillow. Let us look behind door number one, which is a decently clean bathroom having mint accents of leaves? Must be to compliment her taste though it’s a bit bare for a single individual living here, leaving the bathroom looking at the other door in the room besides the one leading into here I walked over to it and began to open it.

Right then was hearing a voice that made me turn my head, to Lyra Heartstrings entering the bedroom with a smile. “Hey victor I heard the bathroom doo-“ There was silence for a few moments as a heated blush flashed onto Lyra’s face before she continued in a more ‘aroused’ tone. “Victor I didn’t know that you were a naughty colt, wanting to see what naughty clothes a mare would have. I would have gladly shown you each of them by wearing it if you asked.”

I blinked and looked into the said closest and sure enough half of the clothes to me didn’t seem fitting for a ‘public’ showing, which made me gawk for a moment and rethink my horrid, stupid, idiotic half brained idea of that being a logical place to hide creepy things. I return eye contact from my stupor only to shut the door in same motion. “I was simply looking if you had any um, written ‘studies’ on what you have been researching on my species or weird creepy ‘human’ shrines hidden away…”

Even hearing myself say that sounded lame and unsure, just the situation alone of awkward silence for several moments before a tingle. was felt to my left turning my head to see a scrapbook the size of a TOME, levitated over from the bookcase from the far side of the room with the spine on it reading ‘Lyra’s Theories on humans!’. She was writing in something large like that, based on thoughts or ideas of my own species? “…What is this?” That got a sheepish response as she may have noticed the large size of her ‘book’ until speaking her mind it seems. “Um, sometimes I get these ‘glimpses’ that are your species?”

Sighing as I fold both palms onto my face when dragging them over my mask, though her sentence caused my attention to regain. “Well I understand that humans go into heat cycles when they get their first period from what I’ve gathered!” My eye twitched at that before understanding the implication of it. “We don’t go into heat, in a way we are ‘always’ in heat when we reach a certain age unlike animals and can reproduce most of the time.” Her response was of shock then that half lidded smile propping herself against the doorframe towards me.

“Would you be willing to unleash your virile stud self onto a willing thankful mare?” This is sooner or later going to end up like some willing alien slave girl thing or something isn’t it? No, I won’t reduce myself to that way of paying her back for the current help and sheltering. It would not be honorable, also she’s not human no matter how much of one she reminds me of with that posed look of lust, oh wait she’s swaying her hips coming closer with that smile. ‘Oh god she’s leaping at me?!?’

She leapt into the air as my hands reached out in a catching motion only for her to stop in midair with a green aura around her body and my furthest hand having the same giving her a shocked reaction like I am currently processing. After recovering enough to try being gentle with her I slowly positioned her over the bed before ‘letting go’ and seeing her flop onto the bed with a happily given whinny, which made me think it was a horrid choice.

[Maretropolis – Filly Glade, Back in Lyra’s Kitchen – Same night]

Taking a bite out of the grilled cheese sandwich that she made for us, I looked up from the plate to her smiling face as she took that opportunity to talk. “I hope to help your heart open up to being ready for a very loving mare victor, because nopony else will ever be good enough for me like you.” She had spoken over my thoughts of what happened earlier, making me realize she’ll keep trying to win me over. It’s funny how my grandmother told me that it’ll take a special kind of girl who would be stubborn enough to stick around me. ‘Bet she didn’t think it would be an alien girl.’

Looking into her eyes with a sigh, taking another bite before speaking. “Well that might be a very nice sentiment but it will take a lot to change my view on ‘dating’ outside my species, which brings me back to your book!” Pointing at it opened on her side of the table with scratched out sections, torn pages or even just oddly left as is. She looked down at it then back up at me with a smile returning, her eyes sparkled with excitement from what I understand being her favorite ‘topic’.

Taking a swallow from an earlier bite while I spoke, she smiled and responded saying this. “Well Victor I haven’t heard so much about humans before tonight, it is so exciting! Though being a human must be a nice and hard. Your kind just do their best to improve at anything even without magic! Well you are VERY special to me by the way.” She added with a pony equivalent of a heartwarming smile and flutter of the eyes, which was still new and weird to myself. She seems to take my harsh and critical attitude with stride trying her best to get me to warm up to her.

I will have to find out where this ‘Black Cauldron’ bar is, learn of the criminal element here to see about expanding my repertoire of magic and resources. Get a true ‘proper’ base of operations set up so that I won’t have to rely on her strained resources, repay her aid in full and if she still wants to follow me make her my minion, she’ll have to earn the ‘henchmare’ position as she opted to call herself earlier that still sounds weird to my ears.

It doesn’t help that Lyra Heartstrings WISHES to help and protect me from any ‘meanies’ who may attack me, though I did learn that ‘dangerous’ knife I took is used to channel magic into it to make it scary against those on the wrong end of it. Some brand at the bottom of the handle says ‘Flim & Flam Quality’, which is complete and utter bullshit after I showed her that I could literally bend it and told her it was made from cheap metals only to change subject. “I do have to admit, for a quick made meal the cheese and bread taste much better than from where I am from.”

She smiled and somehow soundlessly got closer by a near full table rotation to be in hand reach, that caused me to blink when she offered her head giving me those soulful lovely gold eyes, seriously how can her species or her for this matter be so adorable? I shudder at the thought before giving a sigh working her right ear in my fingers again to rub her still disheveled mane from the earlier Incident, that only make her look a bit more ‘wild’ in natural beauty.

Seems that mint smell is back with vengeance though the triggers seem to be when I am rubbing her, when she thought I was being ‘naughty’ or when she seems ‘excited’ from what I can identify. Makes me wish I studied horses or such to get a better read, dogs and cats were always easier to read from my point of view. “So you would be serious about helping me?” She nodded dumbly under my fingers ministrations, even grappling onto my waist when I tried to pull away.

The look she gives me is a hurt reaction that makes me continue. “You know in some ways you remind me like a dog, not that you are one!” I stressed that point when she gave me a look, one of her brows had raised as if silently asking me to continue. “I am just not use to other sentient female species with well, animalistic traits. I have no point of reference literally other than what thoughts or concepts put together from my own deductions as you can clearly guess how that has led me so far.”

She gave a blushing (lewd?) smile only to lean closer and start rubbing her nose and lips against my armored neck and mask side, she even giggled at my stumbling when she explained. The action behind it also her smile grew when she saw I didn’t back away from it, still reminded me of a cat or dog so I just rubbed her head more and asked if she had an anatomy book. “Why yes I do victor, though wouldn’t you want to have an in depth ‘study’ on a loving unicorn mare’s body to better understand?”

Giving her deadpan look at her ‘subtle’ hints, I wave that off for now opting for the book. Which I am only yet again reminded of her monetary situation with a grimace having to have sold her academy books last month. “You do realize I WILL be helping you fix this in my own ‘way’, do you not?” I gave emphasis to that by sparking of electricity between my fingers, which was until an older newspaper caught my eye. “When did this happen?” Bringing it over to show her what I mean when I saw an Astronomy exhibit in a museum of a rare space metal being on show.

Blinking once she smiled at the change in topic as she felt quite embarrassed that she couldn’t show off being able to care for me, her thinking of me as a ‘hopeful’ stallion in her life. I find that refreshing and ‘odd’ that the females are the ‘dominant’ type in the relationship, though she finds it exciting and admitted having gone ‘weak in the knees’ seeing my teeth. It must be some herbivore thing towards either predators or omnivores, it would explain how their relations to these ‘griffins’ are at times very rough.

Going back onto subject Lyra brushes locks of her hair out of her vision making it of a show to my view before she started. “Well Victor this was put in at the Biggest Museum in Maretropolis, the royal sisters exhibit will be there for another few weeks before circulating to Trotam City’s next.” She said in a general knowing fashion with pride having remembered the schedule from a more museum type pony’s talking from lunch today.

Looking back at victor with a tilt of her the head that ‘just’ so happens, to place it leaning on my shoulder now. Looking down at her slightly unamused before looking back at the paper and the story with thought and asking this question. “Would there be any gems or such be among this ‘collection’ from the royal exhibit along with this metal that is in the Astronomy section of the museum?” She nods with a smile as she gives an answer to the question wondering why. “I think there is as I heard both exhibits were right NEXT to the other, why do you ask victor?”

Shrugging finally to loosen her head from my shoulder to say this, smiling behind the mask in the process. “Well I believe we will have a museum to rob in over a week, though first preparations come before that.” Pausing for a moment to see how she will take the news as this will be a ‘make or break’ type of going forward, her eyes shrunk to pricks before slowly stuttering out. “You would be robbing from the princesses? Why?”

Pointing towards the paper again tapping on it with good measure to make her look at it than back to me. “It would cover a few things really, first if we were able to steal the regalia and gems this exhibit boasts than that would be the start to my ‘war chest’ of funds if they can be sold to any kind of competent fence or foreign individual who accepts second hand goods.” Taking a moment to tap the paper’s image of older crowns.

Continuing to speak my thoughts. “Second would be the ‘infamy’ among those in the criminal community will know there is a big player in the city, third it would be putting everyone else’s actions to shame for a good while.” I would get quite the ego boost if everything went smoothly, though there was always chances of problems arising if I told anyone but lyra currently. “The question I have for you Lyra Heartstrings, would you be willing to work with me to make my goals and future deeds of what will pass come true?”

She thought it over, looking up into my eyes as I dared not to break eye contact with her. I had to see if there was to be hesitation or weakness before she responded. “If I help you victor, will you promise to make me your Henchmare?” She gave an adorable smile amazingly enough brimming with hope, as she seems to be hinging her cooperation on me agreeing for her to become that. “Fine, but I WILL have to TRAIN you to be COMPETENT for MY standards. Also first find an easy bank to rob.” I responded pointedly as she both looked excited and folded her ears back.

[Maretropolis – Power Ponies HQ – Lab Investigation Projection System]
[Twilight/Masked Matter-Horn - Perspective]

It was so frustrating, the criminal from earlier was ‘transferred’ to an unknown location by false records right out of the hospital when we got there. It’s likely Grease Streak who may have paid somepony to do it for him, it is still hard to see how anypony would do such things just for bits! “Spike have any finger prints been found on those documents yet? Or identities to match the couple posing as the stallion’s ‘parents’? Or if there was any other signs or sightings of the alien?!”

I ‘might’ have been worked up about the scientific find of the century let alone Equis, I find it hard that other species still argue on what our planet should be called when it comes to outer appearances. Maybe there should be a scientific council of every species put together to come up with a fitting name that everypony would agree upon? STOP! Focus on the task at hand, the princesses are counting on you! All of pony kind is holding their breath at what scientific discoveries that this alien could bring to our world! I’ve even compiled a list of experimental proced- “Twilight you are doing that overthinking/panicking pattern again, last time you went into that you paced and locked yourself in the library/lab section of the tower for a week and a half.”

Pointing at me sternly with his teen draconian claw, making me wonder who the adult is at times. “I had to lie to Fluttershy that you were performing cruel experiments on her pet angel bunny to break into your lab to give you a full course meal, a full shower and PROFUSELY APPOLOGISE to her for lying!” He gave me a hard look still before lightening up finally to his trademark grin. “Now that is done with, only partials but nothing concrete, the ‘couple’ were someponies who were homeless and got paid to help out with somepony in need. Finally there had been NO sightings of this alien you, rainbow dash and pinkie have been going on about. Now if you’ll excuse me I am off to bed.”

He walked out of the room as I called out to him. “But spike what about the case? It won’t hurt to pull another all-nighter like before!” His response shocked me to the core. “You will end up alone with no special somepony if you keep this up twi! Get some sleep as I need to clean this place up for the princesses.” My mind went into a full stop, teleporting out of the lab and right in front of spike causing a collision. “What do you mean the PRINCESSES are coming?!?”

He quickly backed up a few steps and I matched his movement. “I put the scroll in the ‘in tray’, it’s not my fault that you ignore what I say half the time when you go into these episodes of ‘investigation’ or ‘science’ or ‘studying’.” Giving out a huff with a raised eyebrow that got me to chuckle sheepishly at him, only to hear and see that familiar ‘uh huh’. “Have I become that predictable spike?” I should have known as he gave me a deadpan look that clearly showed he’s been through this more than once, I’ll have to figure out a way to fix my mistake on that or minimize it at worse.

I teleported into my room seeing the scroll that was left where spike had told me, making me proud that he kept to the system and abashed for having doubted him. Opening it up and following that with a gasp I knew what I had to do, it will be intensive but I will put together their room arrangements! “I should had fixed them sooner from my last magical experiment mishap that brought in a tentacle horror, who somehow was afraid of pinkie pie of all ponies? I will learn your secrets one day pinkie.” Giving a grimacing sigh I start a check list for tomorrow.

[That same moment in Power Ponies Kitchen]
Pinkie Pie looked up above her at the viewer’s direction doing a ‘shhh’ motion with her fingers as she appears to be making a white and blue cake for the princesses in a few days, also one on the side with vanilla flavor with green icing.

What added to the strangeness more she even felt her pinkie sense that Twilight will try to figure her out again in the future, only to give a chiding sigh a foalsitter would to a former cutie mark crusader who hadn’t broke down from their antics. “Twilight’s never going to change, OH! I should make a ‘Sorry that you cannot figure out my pinkie sense!’ party when she does get frustrated again!”

[Maretropolis – Lyra’s Bedroom – After Dinner]
[Doctor Doom’s - Perspective.]

Sighing as we had finished dinner as she rather ‘insisted’ that she should hold it in her bedroom since ‘everything’ is there and all I would have to do is sit and listen, I could see the skip in her step and the confident look upon her face. ‘I will have to learn their social cues, maybe develop an alien social facial recognition program since my ‘manual’ says I could program and interact with technology on an intimate level because of one power I have affects only technology.

Upon entering her room I was herded over to sit at the foot of her bed aimed to look out her closed curtain window, which wouldn’t show much if anything from where she lives. Just another reason why I should ‘uplift’ her current living conditions, though it wouldn’t be right if I did end up causing her distress from any negative backlash. Perhaps if it comes to that I will play it off that I had forced her into assisting me so she would be let off.

My thoughts were cut off rather by the gentle flicking of strings of this ‘performance’ she wished to show me, sure enough she was slowly walking out of her closet and I heard her give a soft hum. When she came back into view again I was rather surprised by seeing her in a fitting strapless red dress that had orange pattern a cut in the side of the dress up her leg showing her cutie mark halfway and her hair combed into a ‘bouncy’ fashion covering one eye presenting a purple flower in her mane. “Well Ms. Heartstrings you do dress up rather nicely, though I presume this is all just for me?”

Giving a nod with a glowing smile as her horn had a yellow glow when a Lyre and Violin floated over to her, the first placed in her hands when she closed her eyes a look of concentration took hold. She then started to [play] both instruments at a gentle loving pace, the music warranted even recording this moment of stunning play. In the moonlight from the curtain she radiated in that moment of music true pure beauty beyond words, so entranced I was I didn’t even notice when she had finished.

Only that she was smiling softly with a passionate halflidded stare, when I saw her lips move it finally broke my befuddlement. “I’m glad that the hard work I’ve put into playing two strings went over well with you victor, I even fancied myself up to look my best for you too. Since I would love it if you might hopefully accept sleeping in here with me?” Damn that adorable alien expression, makes me just want to have her sit in my lap and pet her.

Breathing out a heavy sigh, I get up from my position to say this to Lyra. “As much as I would enjoy that, it would be in my opinion rushing ‘any’ sort of progress. I’ll sleep on the couch but just know that your music had indeed touched me, we’ll see how things go from here on, my little lyre.” Moving to close the door to her room I clearly heard a mix of a sigh following a loudly whispered ‘YES!’ that got a first honest chuckle out of me, only to darken my expression again to move into the living room to take a seat looking at my digital manual before I to begin to dose off with the coming morning.

[Canterlot – northern Airship Docks, On a Warehouse – earlier that night]
[Princess Luna/Batmare – Perspective]
[Play]

I feel the evil in the air, injustice being wrought under my hooves down below. I see that the ‘remnants’ of that earth pony’s clown gang appear to be leaving canterlot, listening with my enhanced magic hearing through enchanted cowl of my own design. “Are you guys sure the boss lady said Maretropolis and not Trotam? Because it is rather weird we’re going somewhere new again, though admittedly I guess we all know why.” I smiled from my perch on the roof when they all visibly shuddered from thinking of me, Batmare!

Ducking lower I move closer with a predatory grin upon my muzzle, setting myself up for a perfect ‘drop in’ onto these criminal scum. I took great joy having already handled their griffin lookouts from earlier, they may be twins but I proved better by combat. It also didn’t hurt that they were never right after what that ‘laughing potion’ did to their brains that one time, they give themselves away laughing or giggling like hyenas at times. Though it didn’t hurt that their ‘princess’ of crime is a Hyena in the first place in a custom purple suit attire, her smaller stature and twisted grin reminded me of nightmare moon.

That only made it more of a reason why to take her down when I learned that inside that sick twisted head of that bitch was my darker half pulling at the strings, but at least I knew now where she had scampered off to this time and only more so as for why we should go. I should inform my sister of her presence let alone being in that unnamed whelp, she had no identity, no finger prints on record, even her story changes on how she got her scars!

By this point having leaped down to dispense with divine justice, dealing a blow to the neck knocking out the first of the five that were loading a container, only to roundhouse kick the next closest thug in the side of the muzzle sending him flying into some crates with a cringe seeing blueblood’s mark. The third one tried to whack me on the head with a club only to duck their blow and strike both their throat and gut to send them sprawling on the ground gasping with a cough for air.

The last two looked at each other than myself only to strangely enough do boulder, shield and sword. Than immediately run in opposite of each other’s direction only to be lifted by my magic and flung back into each other striking their noggins twice knocking them out. Looking within the container they were loading up to leave on the Airship to Maretropolis in the morning made me wonder about nightmare’s true intentions.

My eyes narrowed when having seen that this was only a fraction of what she’s stolen from her spree in canterlot, presuming that she has to be with the rest of the fireworks, cannons and guards armor she’s stolen along with her gang of hyenas. If it wasn’t for sister’s laws against sentencing criminals to death I would have taken care of the deranged pup long ago and saved many others the horrid travesties she’s committed, even had been able to properly bind nightmare moon this time.

“I will catch her next time, when I do she’ll hopefully receive a one-way banishment to the moon and die there.” Gritting my teeth once before sending out a flare signal before vanishing into the shadows as I rather enjoyed playing ‘vigilante’ hero for my ponies’ safety, it also makes things easier when dishing out justice and not having to fear political recoil from my said actions by others or even foreign nations. “There is that risk of being caught with our cowl down, though it is also flattering that I see myself and ‘batmare’ working side by side together.” Lightly chuckling at that one foal dream, it also felt odd receiving courtship or sidekick requests.

Seeing the lunar guard quickly arrive and quietly giggling at the scene they came onto, though poor Captain Nightshade has been rather frustrated at ‘batmare’ accomplishing the task that the royal guard should be doing instead of a citizen mare taking the law into her own hands and risking harm against dangerous criminals, though my hero persona has been warming her up since I leave them gift wrapped and not as broken as my earlier crime fighting jaunts. “Just great, knowing prince blueblood he’ll put a bounty on Batmare for breaking his property…”

[Maretropolis – Filly Glade Apartment, Lyra’s Place – shortly after song]
[Lyra Heartstrings – Perspective]

Opening the door from my bedroom I slowly walked down the hallway to check on victor before going to sleep, but when I entered the living room I stopped at seeing victor sitting on the couch with his arms folded and his head laying back with a light snore leaving his mouth. ‘By celestia, he still smells so nice. It wouldn’t hurt if I snuggled with him for a minute right?’ Nodding to myself with a light grin as I opened a hallway Closet and levitated a blanket over to the couch as I carefully molded myself against his side.

Leaning my head to rest into the crook of his neck I smile more after wrapping us in the blanket, only to feel safe and drowsy in victor’s arms, even feeling one of his own arms wrap around me to become more comfortable. By luna he felt powerful, are all humans like this, or is it just my specialsomehuman? Gazing softly with tired eyes up to victor I gently nuzzle his neck and give a lick. “Goodnight victor, please don’t leave me.”

His hold only tightened more before my eyes closed feeling safe in his strong arms, happy that my wish came true. Even if he may be distant or grumpy I will show him only love, as to me that is what I think he’ll only need from me. ‘It would only make me happier if he opens up more like when I played for him, maybe I should do it more often…’ Right at that moment I finally drifted off to sleep happy in my human’s arms, with not a care in the world what might bring.