Equestrian Fanfiction: The Meet-up

Chapters

1. The Past
2. The Early Birds
3. The Main Group
6. The Suprise Appearences
7. The Day After
4. The Late Arrivals
5. The Grand Event

1. The Past

"I'm heading out for the train station," Lyra shouted from the hallway. A large suitcase levitated next to her. "I've washed most of the dishes and breakfast's on the table." She glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

No answer. Lyra waited a few moments more—enough to magic a few locks of her mane into place—then trotted out. Closing the door with a gentle push, she took a deep breath.

Well, it's finally time. Lyra looked at the road, hesitating to take the first step. Fifteen years had finally come to this moment. It was silly, when she thought about it—this was just a simple meet up, a gathering of friends and strangers. The occasion was neither the most significant nor the most terrifying of her life, yet she felt like a swarm of butterflies were waging war in her stomach. The anticipation before her first date was two times less than this. Then again, who would have thought that her "stupid obsession" would lead to this?

"We've come a long, long way since Mistmount," Lyra quoted. It was one of her favorite phrases. She'd lost count how many times she'd uttered it in the last few months: every time she had an exam, every time she went to a job interview, every time she was about to talk to her parents… Lyra shook her head. That was a topic she would leave for later. The next few days were reserved for fun, laughs, and absurd arguments.

The streets of Ponyville were empty. Hardly surprising since it technically was still night. Sunrise was more than an hour away—enough for Lyra to pick up her friend, probably spend some time helping her pack at the last moment, then catch the early train to Canterlot. Doing a quick mental check to make sure she had taken everything, Lyra set off.

"Nightling convention, here I come!" Her hooves clopped along the pavement. She was no longer Lyra of Canterlot! For the next three days she was LyraHooves of Midnight Castle: a place where magic—real fantastical magic, not the aether manipulation they taught in school—was part of life, and mythological creatures from other realms popped by on an hourly basis.

Just like when I was a filly, Lyra, thought. Everything was possible back then.

"Lyra," her mother snapped. "Will you remain still for five minutes?!"

The filly pouted. Each time she would come close to having fun her mother would grumble at her. And it wasn't like Lyra even wanted to go shopping in the first place. She'd much rather spend time with her friends prancing about the schoolyard. Amethyst and Minuette were probably having a wild time, while she was forced to join her mother and shop for school materials.

"Look, I know you're bored, but we need to buy you books and..." the mare's voice trailed off as Lyra's expression changed from pouty to bitter. "Why don't you pick up a story book?" she said, winking and smiling.

"Really?" Lyra's eyes grew wide.

"Yes, just don't—"

Before her mother could finish, Lyra dashed to the foal section of the bookstore. The filly couldn't call herself an avid reader, despite her parents' numerous attempts, but all those years being dragged to shops had taught her one thing: where there were adventure scrolls there were toys.

The adventure section was in the back end of store. Four full shelves loomed over Lyra, reaching up to the ceiling. The vast part were popular filly series along with new releases making their debut with the start of the new school year. In the corner, was the colt section—less popular, somewhat neglected, but the one that had the best toys. Lyra could stand there for hours looking at all the cool things that colts, unjustly, got.

Wow! She gasped, staring at the upper shelves. There were dragon dolls, stallion miniatures—in full armor, naturally—monster sculptures, and the most peculiar creature she'd ever set eyes on. From what she could tell the creature was bipedal, fully clothed, standing out from the rest like a pegasus in Canterlot.

"That's a human," a voice whispered next to her.

"Huh?" Lyra hopped to the side. She hadn't noticed there was somepony else nearby.

"An imaginary mythological bipedal creature from another realm," the pony next to Lyra recited, making a point to stress on every word. She was the same age as Lyra, with a dark red mane, yellow coat, and a pair of saddlebags packed to bursting point with scrolls. "That one is part of the Midnight Castle series," she added with a definite nod.

"Um, okay?" Lyra arched a brow. "So you like toys too, huh?" She asked. "I'm Lyra and I love toys!" She extended a hoof in greeting.

"Err, hello." The filly moved a step away, looking at Lyra's hoof suspiciously. "You're not supposed to talk to strangers." She narrowed her eyes. Lyra's ears dropped. "But since we'll be starting school together, I guess I could tell you. Moondancer."

"We're in the same school?!" Lyra's ears flicked up again.

"I saw you at the magic exam," Moondancer sighed. "You turned an orange into a harp...made of orange."

"Ah, right!" Lyra nodded. In truth she had completely forgotten about the entrance exam. "So, you must like toys a lot! I'd never even heard about humans!"

"No, not particularly." Moondancer levitated a scroll from a nearby shelf. "I just like to be informed. And this is a colt series. Not a very good one either."

"So you have read it!" Lyra shouted, bringing several layers of pink on Moondancer's cheeks.

"Err, I try to keep in touch with current book trends," Moondancer squeaked, droplets of sweat covering her face. "I like books. It's not that this particular story is any better than the rest. In fact I only skimmed through the first scroll to see what a human was."

Again that word. Something about it sparked Lyra's imagination. Turning to the bookcase again, she carefully started reading the titles on the shelves. The Thousand Year Prince, Iron Horseshoe Adventures, Midnight Castle. That was it—the series Moondancer had mentioned! Focusing her magic, Lyra grabbed the book from the shelf and levitated it down.

The very first thing that caught her interest was the picture on the cover: a pegasus, along with, what she assumed to be, two humans fighting an enormous dragon. The artist had made it so realistic that Lyra felt like she was looking through a portal into another world. My strings, what is this? She gasped, moving it closer to her face.

Ten years have passed since the war for Midnight Castle. The pool between worlds, warded off after the Lada invasion, has reopened bringing with it the threat of nightmares. Six new humans and their pony allies must find their calling and take the mantle of protectors and face a new danger.

Lyra swallowed, then reread the blurb. She could feel magic after every word.

"What's the Lada invasion?" She whispered, unable to look away from the back of the cover.

"I don't know." Moondancer moved besides her. "Something that happens in the first volume, I guess. What you're holding is Midnight Castle volume two."

"Midnight Castle volume two," Lyra repeated, mesmerized.

"Are you really going to read that?" Moondancer arched a brow. "It's colt fiction. Weird colt fiction. It can't be good since it's on the discount shelf." The filly looked up at the shelves. "I can recommend you something better, if you—"

"I'll take this one." Lyra gripped the book tightly with both hooves. "It sounds so exciting and full of adventure!"

"All colt fiction is full of adventure." Moondancer narrowed her eyes. "It isn't real. It's not like humans will appear out of nowhere and—"

"It's real." Lyra whispered. "As long as you read it everything is possible." She levitated the miniature statue down from the shelf. "Even humans."

"Even humans," Lyra chuckled to herself. "Mare, I was such a dork!"

The houses on either start of the street were dark. The only exception was Twilight's eastern tower, which in defiance to any sleep schedule, remained always lit. Apparently, even a pair of wings weren't able to get rid of her unhealthy book reading habit. Lyra could imagine her asleep on the table, drooling head smack in the middle of a book. On the other hoof, there were also ponies who didn't have the least bit of trouble sleeping through any meeting.

Judging by the lack of lights from the house in front of her, Lyra's friend had not bothered to set her alarm. That didn't surprise Lyra in the least. With a mental grumble she went to the door and knocked. She had hardly started when the door creaked open, revealing a small blond unicorn filly.

"Dinky?" Lyra blinked. "So sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up—"

"I've been awake for two hours," the filly said. "Sis went to 'close her eyes just for a minute' an hour ago," she sighed, moving aside for Lyra to enter. "Her saddlebags are ready. Sis says she'll travel light and get more stuff from Mom and Dad's place when we get there."

"Typical." Lyra went in. "Amethyst, get your lazy flank here, or I'll post your romance poetry all over my site!" she shouted. A loud thump resounded from the upper floor followed by an 'aww' and a series of curses. "That should speed things up." Lyra winked to Dinky, who giggled. "So how have you been? Everything okay at school? Sorry I couldn't visit as much as I wanted, but work and such."

"School's fine, I guess." Dinky looked to the side. Her smile disappeared completely. "Lyra, is RRBB okay? I haven't been able to talk to her the last few days and am worried."

"RRBB." That was a topic Lyra would have preferred not to discuss. The truth in the matter was, that RRBB wasn't fine in the least. They had had several aethernet exchanges in the last few days, and despite all of Lyra's efforts she wasn't sure she had managed to reach her virtual friend. Strictly speaking, RRBB hadn't confirmed she would even go to the meetup. "Well, she's dealing with some stuff, but she'll be fine." I hope. "If she comes to the meet up, I'll—"

"Lyra, you witch!" A purple unicorn head popped from the top of the stairs. "You dare post a word of that and I'll bribe Tech to do a takeover of your site and—" the unicorn yawned, her body and legs trembling as if trying to shake off her tiredness "—and, I have no idea what I was about to say." She climbed down the stairs with the grace of a chipped boulder, gave Lyra a semi-conscious hug, then stumbled off towards the kitchen.

Lyra and Dinky looked at each other, neither saying a word.

"Mayor Mare has been giving sis more work this week," Dinky whispered, as the sound of something smashing to the floor came from the kitchen. "That and all the hysteria on your site. I don't know who that Jade pony is, but she's been keeping sis up most nights."

"He," Lyra corrected as a new wave of curses came from the kitchen. "Jade is a he, and I've dealt with the situation. One more mess up and he's banned for good."

"Lyra, you want any coffee or something?" Amethyst shouted. "I've got orange juice and waffles."

"I'm fine, Amethyst," Lyra shouted back. "Just eat up and let’s go!"

"I don't know what Jade is, but I don't like her." Dinky went to the corner of the living room, where two sets of saddlebags were waiting. "She's mean to everypony, has no sense of humor... even PaintDrop said she's tired of Jade's posts. And you know how much PaintDrop loves drama."

Drama. On my own site. Lyra giggled. Three years ago she would have laughed at the thought. Back then, before she had created her fansite, all Midnight Castle discussions took place in the comment section of an obscure part of Writer Prose—the most popular aethernet site for writers to post their works. They were four ponies, all posting and commenting alone...until they decided to meet.

"I can't believe you roped me into this!" Amethyst whispered, hiding behind the restaurant menu. "Me, a respectable city official, brought down by one of my best friends."

"Oh, will you relax," Lyra laughed, adjusting her 'I <3 Midnight Castle' hat. "Look, nopony's even paying attention. If anypony’s attracting attention, that's you. Just chill and order something to eat already!"

The first face to face. It was remarkable how much time and effort it had taken four ponies to organize a meeting. The main reason for this was their vastly different schedules: Lyra was a college part timer doing a double major in Magic and Music. Combine that with her complicated love life, and latest significant other, and it was really difficult to get more than a few hours to herself. The other members of the Midnight Castle group had things even more complicated. For that reason it had been decided that Ponyville would be best suited for a meeting place.

"If Brush and RRBB weren't such good writers I wouldn't even be here," Amethyst grumbled across the table, then waved to get the waiter's attention. "Vine rings with a side dish of fried petals. And a bowl of cider."

Lyra laughed behind her hoof. It was no surprise that one of her best friends, and former classmate, would join the Midnight Castle craze. True, she wasn't a veteran like Lyra, she didn't even particularly like the original series, but when it came to Mistmount Chronicles—better known as Volume 3—she was a walking encyclopedia.

"What do you think they'll be like?" Amethyst whispered, taking a sip from Lyra's bowl. "They both are, you know..." she raised an eyebrow.

"Will you stop worrying?" Lyra pulled the bowl of lemonade closer to herself. "They're perfectly normal ponies who share our passion for Midnight Castle."

"I'd say passion." Amethyst stifled a chuckle. "Brush sounds like she'd—" she glanced around, making sure nopony had turned their ears in her direction "—snuggle anything that's male. And RRBB... Some of her stories shouldn't even be allowed on the site!"

"Oh, come on!" Lyra frowned.

"Hands and Hands was borderline erotica!" Amethyst whispered, pulling Lyra's bowl towards her again to get another sip. "And quit hogging that drink! I'm parched! The Mayor just started me on reorganizing town hall. Things are such a mess it'll be a total disaster."

"Well, you jumped to the opportunity to become a Mayor's aid. Important job, bright future, great atmosphere."

"Shut up!" Amethyst scrunched her muzzle. "But aren't you a bit curious? Like, I totally see Brush as Vinyl."

"You had to bring that up." Lyra rolled her eyes. That was one of her least favorite topics of discussion.

"No, hear me out! She's wild, extremely flirty, never sleeps—"

"Umm, excuse me," a soft voice interrupted. Both Lyra and Amethyst turned around to see a yellow pegasus standing at their table. "I, umm, heard. Umm. You were talking about me?"

"Fluttershy?" Amethyst gaped.

There wasn't a soul in Ponyville that didn't know Fluttershy, from taking care of the town's animals to her being the Element of Kindness. She couldn't sneeze without somepony taking notice, then promptly ignoring her completely. To have her come here was extraordinary, let alone approach them.

"Umm, I'm Brush," Fluttershy squeaked, closing her eyes as she spoke.

"Wait, what?" Amethyst jumped out of her seat. "You're Brush? You?" She pointed at Fluttershy, who was shivering with fear. "Brush? You? Brush? The author of The Human and I?

"Umm, yes?"

There was a moment of silence. Never in a thousand years would Lyra have expected this. She prided herself on having an open mind, but Fluttershy being one of the sauciest fan writers and a huge Midnight Castle admirer came as somewhat of a shock. Her writing style, while extremely suggestive, was nearly flawless, conveying such amounts of emotion that Lyra had found herself crying on more than a few occasions. There even were discussions among Fluttershy's—or Brush's—followers that she was in fact a stallion. Ironically, there also had been a few users claiming she was Fluttershy all along.

"Umm, may I sit?" Fluttershy asked with a polite smile.

"Oh, sure, right." Amethyst moved to the far end of the table giving Fluttershy enough space.

"Thanks." The pegasus took her seat. "Is it okay if I don't order anything? I grabbed a bite a moment ago."

"No worries." Lyra nodded, as the waiter arrived with Amethyst's order. "I'm LyraHands, by the way." Fluttershy politely smiled at her. "But, I guess that was pretty obvious. Love your The Human and I. Only complaint I have is why does it take you so long to update?"

"Buck it, this is unbelievable!" Amethyst mumbled undetected her breath. "We see each other every day and I... Argh! Do you have any idea how many questions I have for you?"

"Well, the messages you sent on aethernet me gave me an idea." Fluttershy's ears relaxed down slightly. "And thank you for your kind words."

"Kind words? Mare, I don't know how you manage to describe humans so well, but your work is incredible!" Amethyst moved a little closer. "And incredibly hawt!" she added in whisper, making Fluttershy blush. "Seriously, how are you so skilled? You and RRBB are just so out there."

"I have some practice." The pegasus slid her hoof along the table. "I've been writing since I was seven. It's a good way to calm my nerves."

"I'm not surprised. With all the things you do in real life it's a miracle you write as much as you do."

"I still hope you get more things published, though," Lyra interjected. "You're done so many great things, half of them unfinished, that I just want to read more! No pressure though. Well, not too much."

"Heh heh heh," Fluttershy let out a tense laugh.

"Wow, you really are a whole lot different in real life." Amethyst crossed her forelegs. "It's almost like you're a totally different—"

"What's up, losers?" Before Amethyst could finish, a pink filly hopped onto a seat next to Lyra and unapologetically leaned on the table with a heavy sigh. "Sorry about being late. I got into a scuffle at school and Cheerilee made me stay an hour after class, then—" She stopped. All three mares were staring at her, speechless. "What?!" The filly asked in her most annoyed tone of voice.

"Umm, Diamond Tiara?" Fluttershy began. "Why are you here?"

"This is the Midnight table, right?" The filly glanced at Lyra's hat. "So here I am. I don't see what... oooh!" She said, coming to the realization. "Right, right. I'm RRBB. What are your usernames?"

"Brush," Fluttershy said, looking around for a menu.

"This is just wrong!" Amethyst rolled her eyes. "My two favorite authors are Fluttershy and a schoolfilly?"

"Hey, I'll have you know I was chief editor for the school newspaper!" Diamond Tiara grumbled. "And I bet you're MixaMax. You're not nearly nice enough to be LyraHands."

" Lyra also happens to my name," Lyra said with an amused smile.

"Oh. That works too." Diamond Tiara shrugged. "So, what now? We're all here. What do we do?"

"How the hay should I know?" Amethyst started eating her fried petals. "We get a water bottle?"

Get a water bottle, Lyra reminisced. That was probably the most dramatic moment of the afternoon, followed by a series of arguments about the Midnight Castle characters.

"Are you still bringing those stupid handshoes?" Amethyst shouted from the kitchen.

"You know me," Lyra replied, winking to Dinky. "Always crazy. Did you find a sitter for your sis?" The filly narrowed her eyes in the very same fashion Amethyst did. "Or are we bringing her along?"

"She bullied me into it!" A faint sound of sweeping came from the kitchen. "Threatened me with inequine torture if I refused!"

"I told her I'll change her Midnight Castle password," Dinky whispered, a cheeky smile on her face. "She believed me."

Well, aren't you a smart one? Lyra patted the filly on the head. Everything was fair in love, war, and the aethernet. Besides, having Dinky was a good idea. Maybe she'd be able to get Diamond Tiara to feel a little better.

"Well, if you don't hurry up, there will be a whole site of ponies threatening you with torture." Lyra looked at the clock on the wall. Fifteen minutes had passed just like that. There was still plenty of time to catch the train, but if Amethyst kept being slow as she was they might as well settle for the afternoon express.

"Sheesh! Some Midnight Castle society this is." A grumble came from the kitchen. "Helping each other, my flank! I'm surrounded my cruel heartless mares who—"

"If we're late Brush will steal all the cute stallions," Lyra cut her short.

The comment did its job. Two grumbles and a chuckle later, the three unicorns were on their way, trotting through the still-empty streets. Ponies clearly liked to enjoy their sleep, even if Ponyville was mostly an agricultural town. It was only when they reached the train station that small crowds of ponies began to appear, slowly building up as the day was about to progress.

"Two and a filly," Lyra said at the ticket booth. "Second class."

"The early train to Canterlot, I take it?" the clerk asked.

"Yes, right." I really need to focus. It's no big deal. "Early train to Canterlot." She levitated fifteen bits towards the clerk. No big deal at all...

"That's a huge deal!" Amethyst said in awe. "Making your own site isn't a trot in the park. Do you know the amount of ponies that register an aethernet site, then abandon it a month later? Seven hundred and twenty-two this month alone. And I'm only talking about Ponyville."

Lyra smirked. The same argument over and over. For almost a year each time she'd float the idea of them making their own fansite—one that wasn't plagued by absurd rules and bad coding—Amethyst would make her reconsider. Actually, that was false. It was Lyra who chickened out, scared by the amount of effort required to set up even the most basic of sites. It was one thing to criticize others, but as she had found out, aether code was extremely difficult. The little she had learned in university barely managed to scratch the surface. However, three hours ago she had finally done it: casting all doubt aside and wasted half her savings on an aethernet domain.

"It really is no big deal. Even Diamond has her own site." Lyra turned to the filly for support. Diamond Tiara looked back, shrugging while drinking a chocolate shake.

"My mom paid for it to be done," she said, once she had halved her drink. "I don't even touch it. Tried to read it once, but quit. It's like the most boring thing ever. My favorite part is logging on under a false name and writing crap. Then I get to watch ponies freak out and try to fix the mess."

"You troll your own site?" Fluttershy giggled. "That's, so... so..." She circled her hoof in the air searching for the appropriate word.

"I know, right?" The filly grinned. "You should try it sometime. It's fun."

"Girls, we're losing focus here!" Amethyst slammed a hoof on the table. "Who's going to code it? No offense, Handy, but you're total crap."

"Hey!" Lyra frowned. "I can do some code."

"'Do' some code?" her friend laughed. "Good thing you're not a writer."

"I can ask Discord if—" Fluttershy began, but instantly stopped. Three pairs of eyes were glaring at her, shouting unequivocally that it was a bad idea. "Or not," she quickly added, attempting to hide her face behind the cup of tea on the table.

"I can handle the nonsense part," Amethyst offered. "Messages, legal documents, making sure everything gets paid on time, taking care of hosting issues, but I can't code. Not something as complicated as this."

"One thing I don't get, why Equestrian Fanfiction?" Diamond Tiara waved her hoof in the air, making a sign to the waitress to give her another drink. "Aren't we focusing on Midnight Castle? That or Mistmount Chronicles would have been much better."

"I tried." Lyra leaned back. "But both were taken. This was the best I could come up with. We'll just call it Equestrian Fanfiction: Midnight Castle."

"Works. Not as catchy, but it works."

"Maybe you can get Minuette or Moondancer to help you out?" Amethyst suggested. "From what I remember they were both great at a-code."

"With their work schedule, I doubt it," Lyra snorted. "Besides, Moony's getting serious with her coltfriend, so I doubt she'll have any time. Pity, since she loves the series. I can ask Minuette, I guess."

"I'm sure it will work out great." Fluttershy flapped her wings. "In no time at all we'll have a site of our own. Then, before we know it the site will grow, we'll become aether-famous celebrities with hundreds of thousands of followers. Even Amethyst, who hasn't posted a story in her life, but keeps criticizing every update I make."

"Well, I wouldn't if you could write worth a broken horseshoe." Amethyst smirked. "Your sensual scenes are beautiful and thought provoking, your dialogue is okay, but everything in-between..." she covered her face with both forehooves.

"Don't you dare insult the all powerful Princess Brush!" Diamond Tiara chuckled. "Brush is love! Brush is life! Brush is so much better than me that I want to eat my hooves! Tell me, Princess, what is your secret?"

"Lots of cuddly animals?" Fluttershy smiled.

"I bet you want a cuddly animal in your life." Amethyst wiggled her eyebrows.

"Amethyst!" The pegasus' face turned pink. "You can't say that in public! Let the other mares have a chance."

Laughter burst around the table. The amount of times the quartet had gathered to discuss their favorite human series had managed to get even a Fluttershy to relax and crack jokes in public. Not the best ones by any stretch of the imagination, but there always was a moment at which she'd drop a gem.

"Would be nice," the pegasus added once the laughter had subsided. "For the site to become popular, I mean. We'll get to meet all sorts of new ponies, read their stories, maybe even organize a convention?"

"Yeah, right." Amethyst snorted. As on the aethernet sites, she kept being the mare contrary of the group. "With cosplayers, and scroll signings, and what have you? Suuure. Lyra's site will become the next Daring Do Central. Just bigger and better."

"It would be nice, though." Lyra sighed. "It doesn't have to be that huge. It just had to amount to something."

"Only good thing about getting the early train—" Amethyst levitated her luggage to the overhead compartment "—we get a whole wagon to ourselves. Go ahead and take a nap, Dink."

"Sis!" The filly groaned. "I'm fifteen! I don't need sleep."

Lyra remained silent, placing her own luggage in the designed areas. Six o'clock. Her enthusiasm had mostly worn off, making it difficult to kept her eyes open. All of the sudden the train’s whistle sounded. Ponies galloped along the platform outside making sure all the passengers had boarded and all the doors were closed.

"All clear!" A loud yell came directly from outside the window next to Lyra. Moments later the train started moving.

"Do you think everypony will show up?" Amethyst yawned, as she took the bench across her sister.

"Hope so," Lyra whispered. She very much wanted everypony to be there, even if she knew it would be impossible. Hopefully, most of them would.

Just a short nap, Lyra thought, the rhythmic rocking of the wagon plunging her to sleep. On the row beside her Dinky and Amethyst had already fallen asleep. Just a few hours. She closed her eyes. The next time she'd open them she'd be in Canterlot, and then the magic would begin.

2. The Early Birds

Slightly after ten o’clock, Canterlot came into view. Usually, the train would be much faster, but this wasn't the express, so it had to make a number of additional stops on the way. Lyra woke up about ten minutes later. Taking her portable computer from the suitcase, she logged onto her site to check for new posts. There were a few, though nothing important. Most posts were from PrinceEric, who apparently had already spent a day in Canterlot and insisted everypony see how cool it was. Lyra could only chuckle at his enthusiasm.

"Anything from RRBB?" Dinky asked, stirring from her bench on the neighboring row.

"Dinks, did I wake you up?" Lyra asked with a touch of guilt, then opened her aether scrollbox to check for new messages. There were none. The last from RRBB was half a day old, expressing her doubts she'd go to the meet-up. "Go back to snoozing. I'll wake you when we reach Canterlot."

"Nah." The filly stretched. Opposite her, Amethyst was snoring, hugging onto a small travel cushion. "So any messages?"

"Nope." Lyra put the device away. "She's probably traveling and can't chat right now." An outright lie. If anything Diamond Tiara had the best aethernet subscription, allowing her to connect anywhere. "I'm sure we'll see her when we get there." Dinky's expression looked anything but happy. "Say, you want to make your own account on the site? I know you read it any chance you get."

"Sure." Dinky shrugged, then looked out of the window. "I can't see Ponyville from here. The town sure is small."

"Well, yes." Lyra's horn flashed as she input the commands. "I miss the bustle of Canterlot, but Ponyville is nice. You can't find any peace and quiet in Canterlot these days. Even the gardens are full of chaos."

"Argh!" Dinky cringed, her ears turning away from Lyra. "Worst joke ever!"

"Maybe, but you're still laughing," Lyra chuckled. "So, what username do you want?"

"Lyra, I can make my own account," Dinky protested. "I'm not a kid anymore. Thanks, but let's leave that for later."

"Sure, but that won't stop you from worrying." I have an idea what you're going through, kiddo. Been there, done that, bought the saddle. "Short and Hoofy?"

"Please, Lyra." Dinky crossed her forelegs. "And that nick is stupid."

"Whatever you say." Lyra skimmed through a few more threads. A few new users had posted stories, though none of them had joined the site discussions. Lyra made a comment, then put the device away. As much as she didn't like seeing Dinky sad, there was a time and place for everything and right now the filly needed her space.

A food cart pony entered the passenger car, announcing they'd be in Canterlot in fifteen minutes. The food on sale was extremely overpriced, yet Lyra still spent some bits to buy Dinky an ice cream. Not like I'll be spending that much anyway. I'm broke, she thought, looking out of the window. She would have liked to buy some of PaintDrop's art. Maybe next time the circumstances would be better.

The train arrived at ten thirty on the dot. Lyra took her suitcase, helped Dinky wake up Amethyst, then led the group onto the platform. The moment they did they were greeted by the bustle of the big city. Though far less noisy than Manehattan, the train station could fit half the population of Ponyville inside. Everywhere ponies trotted about, in calm elegant fashion discussing the latest gossip.

"Is anypony here to greet us?" Amethyst yawned. Based on her dopey movements, she could have used a few hours more of sleep. "Or do we find the hotel on our own?"

"CEO said he'd be here." Lyra looked around. "Code as well, if she's not asleep." She didn't see it suitable to add that CodeFilly had spent most of the night chatting with her coltfriend through aethernet. In fact, they had still been going on when Lyra started packing her luggage at three in the morning.

"Do you think Tavi will show up?" Amethyst adjusted her saddlebags. "I sent her a few messages when we'd be here, but she mentioned something about a rehearsal. How come she's so busy and you're not? Do you suck that much at music?"

"Wow, Amethyst, just wow!" Lyra shouted in mock anger. "I bust my flank to run a site that keeps you entertained and you betray me like that?!"

"I'm just saying..."

"Banned! I'm deleting your account first chance I get!" Lyra stuck her tongue out. A few steps away, Dinky facehooved. It was obvious she was embarrassed by their behavior. "And yeah, she said something about trying to pop by. SweetStuff impressed her quite a bit with that song...which, by the way, I've heard and can say it's great!"

"Madam, you are a tease and a flirt!" Amethyst raised her chin in false indignation. "A flirt, I say! And if you think for one moment, that I—"

"Lyra, Lyra!" a voice broke the rhubarb of the crowd. "Hey!" A blue colt older than Dinky waved his wings eagerly from the bench of a fast food restaurant. His mane was brown and short, granting him a stylish look.

"That's CEOWitch?" Amethyst whispered, the blood drained from her face. "I thought she was a Wonderbolt."

"Don't be stupid," Lyra laughed, waving back to the colt. The thought of playing along just to mess with Amethyst crossed her mind. Knowing how gullible her friend was, Lyra might even get away with it. Then again, the day was young. There would be time for similar antics later.

Moving her suitcase closer, Lyra pushed her way through the crowd to join the colt at his table. Amethyst and Dinky followed close behind.

"Lyra, you're here!" The colt jumped to hug her the moment she was within reach. "I can't believe it! You look just like I imagined you would! Well, maybe a bit more minty."

"That's the first time anypony's described me like that," Lyra giggled.

"I'm PrinceEric," the colt said proudly. "Pone, it's been so wild! And the meet-up's just getting started!"

You're PrinceEric? Lyra wondered. Strangely enough, he was exactly what he claimed to be on the forum, yet for some reason she imagined him way different. Not going into stereotypes, his behavior was more suited for a nerd, or the funny plump foal that every school class had and admired. Instead, he was the spitting image of a heartbreaker. No wonder the fillies wanted to impress him.

"You're PrinceEric?" Amethyst asked, giving him a skeptical look. "I thought you'd be wearing braces."

"That—" Lyra took a seat at the colt's table "—brute, as you might have guessed, is MixaMax."

"Amethyst Star." The unicorn ruffled his mane. "And sister." Almost immediately a groan came from behind. "Though we sometimes call her Dinky."

"Chip Mint," PrinceEric introduced himself. Instead of hugging Dinky, however, he went to her and brushed a kiss on each cheek.

Somepony has a Prench upbringing, Lyra thought, amused, as she watched Dinky's face turn pink. Uncertain how to react, the filly muttered an unintelligible greeting, then made an excuse to step away.

"So, how are the Wonderbolts treating you?" Lyra asked, as she levitated a menu from the neighboring table. Five hours without food had taken their toll. "I hope CEO wasn't a complete ass."

"No way! He was totally cool! Gave me a tour of the barracks, got me to hang with Fleetfoot—"

"He?" Amethyst blinked, while her sister sat on the edge of the bench, as far away as possible from Chip. "No way CEOWitch is a he!" Lyra arched a brow at her. "Seriously! The posts, the private messages. Trust me, I'd know if..." Her words trailed off. A short distance away, none other than Soarin, second lieutenant of the Wonderbolts, was looking at her, amused expression on face.

Oh, why aren't there any photographers here? Lyra stifled a chuckle. What she wouldn’t give for a photo of her friend's face. The expression was just golden. Taking full advantage of the situation, Lyra pointed at Amethyst, then whispered, "she thought you were a mare," distinctly enough for Soarin to be able to make out her lip movements.

"I officially hate you!" Amethyst whispered through gritted teeth. "Hey, CEO," she said, offering a half-hearted wave.

"You're losing your touch, Max." Soaring approached. "How was your trip, girls? Moderately fine, I hope?"

"Was okay." Amethyst shrugged. "If some maniac hadn't woken us up at four in the morning!"

"Shush!" Lyra shoved her friend. "It was fine. We slept most of the way. Are we the first to arrive?"

"Pretty much. Luna's here of course," Saorin said casually, causing several ears at the table to perk up and turn his direction. "CodeFilly went to bed an hour ago. She probably won't wake up till three when MightyDragon and Jade arrive from the Crystal Empire. Candle should be here in fourteen minutes. Everypony else will arrive round noon give or take." The pegasus grabbed Lyra's menu with his wing and put it face down on the table.

"Hey! I was about to order!" Lyra protested.

"Not on my watch." The Wonderbolt winked. "While you're here I'll be covering your food. If you have any complaints, pick it up with Fleetfoot."

Lyra swallowed. Her stomach was twisting with hunger, but she didn't want to appear ungrateful, especially since she'd just been offered free food for the duration of the meetup. Curving her lips in a smile, she nodded.

"Glad you didn't waste your appetite on fast food. Now let's get you all to see Luna."

"Woah! So large!" Chip said in awe.

Lyra chuckled. She was used to seeing the insides of the palace, yet even she had to admit that she was impressed by it. The sheer size was enough to make anypony feel like they were under a second sky. Far more impressive, though, was the ease with which Soarin managed to whisk them in past the guards: a wave, a few words, and bam! They were in the grand hall.

They probably think we're a bunch of weirdos, Lyra thought, glancing at the armor clad pegasi as her small group walked past. Or maybe it was just her imagination? One of the guards whispered something to the other. A moment later both of them chuckled. Nope, not my imagination.

As they reached the middle of the hall, Soarin turned to the right. This was both surprising and alarming. From what Lyra could remember, from her unfortunate experience of being one of Princess Cadence's bridesmaids during the Changeling invasion, the left section of the palace was reserved for Princess Luna, while the right belonged to Celestia herself.

"Soarin?" Lyra moved beside him. "Are you sure we didn't take a wrong turn?"

"Chill." The pegasus laughed as he lead them down a corridor. "This isn't my first time in the palace, you know."

"I know. I just..." Lyra stopped. There was nothing she could possibly add to the conversation. Her stomach growled in the most inappropriate fashion, reminding her it didn't appreciate being treated the way it was.

"Must be mega cool to live in a palace!" Chip said. "Just imagine having all this? Flying from one end to the other would be enough for your morning stroll."

"I guess." Dinky shrugged beside him. She seemed a bit calmer since the incident at the station, though the traitorous flicking of her left ear made it obvious how nervous she really was.

This is way awkward! Lyra thought. Her teacher was a Nightling? If it was anypony else, Lyra would shrug it away, adding that she had seen weirder. In this case there was no weirder! Plus, there were all the messages they had exchanged. Finding "Luna's" comments hilarious, Lyra had started a private discussion about the difference between human and pony dreams, on a few occasions venturing into not safe for work territory. At least it can't be as bad as the Blueblood incident.

"But yes, it is dreadfully tedious." Prince Blueblued put his hoof on his head with enough drama to put a Shakesmarian actor to shame. "You would not believe the things I have to endure on a daily basis."

A pair of countesses tee-heed in their hoofkerchiefs, as was deemed proper etiquette. Lyra felt she wanted to vomit. Even from across the street she was was suffocating under the stench of falsehoods and pretenses. Apparently, it was a staple of Canterlot—everypony from the country bumpkin to the city elite was infected to some degree. As Lyra had been recently reminded, her own parents were no exception. Worse, she was forced to play the game as well.

"Your Highness, you're a sapphire!" one of the snobs chortled.

"My dear, I think I'm a diamond," the Prince remarked, causing a new series of tee-hees.

Why can't Mistmount Castle be real? Everything would be so much better then. Ponies would be nice and caring, they'd be honest, help each other out when in need, and never make absurd ultimatums. Feeling her legs start to shake, Lyra closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Yes, I heard that rumor as well." Prince Blueblood's voice kept on drilling into her skull. "Not that I believe in it, of course. Furthermore, I have it on excellent authority that Fancy Pants earned his inheritance. Don't tell anypony, but they say that his mother wanted a filly, this was one step away from disowning Fancy at the slightest excuse."

Lyra's eyes shot open. Every single of Blueblood's utterances were garbage, but his idiolect reminded her of something—the same idiolect she had slavishly followed through four volumes.

My strings, he really does resemble Bellucio! Maybe it was because the topic had come up on her site, but the more Lyra looked at the prince the more she could see the connections. He was, despite what was said about his character, extremely attractive and very refined, when it suited him. Any other day, Lyra would note the resemblance and walk on to work. This morning, however, she chose not to.

"Fuck consequences," Lyra whispered under her breath, as she trotted straight towards Blueblood. "My life is messed up as it is." Passing by the snobbish mares, Lyra stopped a step away from the prince. "Good morning, Bellucio."

The experience was exuberating. Yet while Lyra's rebel streak yelled in victory, her voice of reason let her know what an idiot she had shown herself to be. A number of ponies were staring at her, including two snobs who glared at her with enough intensity to set ice on fire.

Well, that happened. Lyra took a step back. Might as well go to work and—

"Excuse me?" Prince Blueblood said, sending chills down her spine. "Did you just call me Bellucio?" Lyra froze. Stars take me now! "At least it isn't Omni."

"Wha?" Did I hear right? "You've heard of—"

"Of course I've heard of it!" Blueblood cut her short. "Do you take me for an idiot?"

"No, I—"

"You just thought I wouldn't catch the reference?" He smirked. "Aren't you hip? What's next? Aethernet memes? Forum jokes?"

"I—"

"Well? Is that all you have to say?" Blueblood snorted, hardly giving her a chance to finish a sentence. "You trot here, interrupt my conversation, make a smug reference, then shut up? Please tell me you have something to add."

"Err, join my Nightling fan site, please?" The words popped out of her Lyra's mouth. Nooo! There were a hundred things she could have said and that wasn't one of them.

Blueblood's ears perked up. He narrowed his eyes, as if trying to figure how to react to such a statement. Lyra herself was wondering the very same thing. If her legs hadn't stopped obeying her she'd be galloping away faster than a hyperactive pegasus.

"Why not." Blueblood shrugged. "I've nothing better to do." He waved a hoof dismissively at Lyra. "Trot off, now. I'm sure you have others to annoy."

"Here we are." Soarin stopped in front of a gold-encrusted double door. "Remember to behave. Luna's nice and all, but she can be a bit temperamental now and then."

She's just a pony, Lyra told herself as her heart was beating at twice the normal rate. Just a pony I've been chatting with for weeks. Subconsciously, she passed an aetherbrush through her mane. For some reason she felt just like on her first day of college, with the exception that this time there weren't rows of other ponies to hide behind.

With barely a knock, Soarin opened both wings of the door and stepped aside. The moment of truth had come. Lyra took a deep breath, counted to three, then walked in. A white, spacious office extended before her, packed full of filing cabinets and scroll racks. There was probably more writing material in this room than in the top ten fan fiction sites combined. An enormous wooden desk—the only other piece of furniture in the entire room—loomed in the far end.

"Your H-h-highness," Lyra stuttered, her head half bowed as she scanned the room. "I am d-deeply honored that—"

"As you should be!" a high pitched voice announced. "Psych!" A pony jumped out from behind the desk.

As Lyra's glance fell upon her, she could tell two things with extremely determination: Princess Celestia was undoubtedly the most frightening troll in all of Equestria, and this was not her.

"Those expressions are just priceless!" The new pony laughed. White coat, brown mane, glasses, red tie—there was only one pony in Equestria that fit that description.

"Raven?" Lyra gasped. "Raven Inkwell?"

"At least I'm not the only one to get things wrong," Amethyst noted with pleased smugness.

"Oh, come on, you didn't seriously think I was Celestia, did you?" Raven shoved Lyra in the flank. "Don't get me wrong, it's not that she wouldn't pull a prank like this, but she's just doesn't have the time. Trust me, I know," she added with a fraction of a grumble. "Anyway, how are you? So glad to see you. With everything going on I was afraid you might not make it, and that would be a shame."

"Everything going on?" Lyra's ears flicked.

"Sorry, professional impulse." Raven laughed it off. "Guess I need a break from all the paperwork. Anyway, I hope you haven't eaten. I have snacks ready in the dining room. We must be full of energy if we want to make it through the next three days, am I right?" She turned towards the foals. Raven smiled at the colt. "You're PrinceEric." She then looked at Dinky. "And you are?"

"Dinky, my sister." Amethyst stepped in. "Guess now I know why I've been getting the special treatment, huh? I wondered why you began adding personal notes in all documents to Ponyville last month."

"Well, I could hardly tell you who I was." Raven chuckled. "Though I really hoped you'd connect the dots, being so good at analyzing Mistmount. Tell me, do you still think Everhere will be a flop?"

"I never said that!" Amethyst snapped. "I said it might be a flop. Huge difference! And can you blame me? With all the rumors going on I had every reason to be concerned. The 'grand nine'? The new 'titan spawn female character'?"

"Both true and in print."

"Well maybe, but—"

"Girls, girls, maybe continue this in the dining hall?" Soarin interrupted. "We all know you can go at it for hours. Besides, any longer and Lyra will collapse out of hunger."

"Hey!" Lyra blushed. "Banned forever!"

"You can't ban me," Soarin laughed. "I still need to be reachable on the site if somepony gets lost."

"After the meet-up, then!"

"Yeah, yeah." Soarin trotted into the corridor. "Let's just go before I have to carry you."

The dining hall was in the opposite side of the palace. Most of the tables were full of palace guards enjoying their break. Seeing the group they turned in their direction, then went back to their conversations. One guard in particular caught Lyra's attention—a slightly grayish unicorn who, unlike the rest, was looking straight at her. The moment their eyes met he tapped the side of his muzzle twice.

Would you look at that. Lyra smiled back. The tap was one of the more emblematic elements of volume 4: Having lost a bet, Omni—the partygoer of the main cast—had to slap his face each time he said something stupid. Originally, this behavior should have ended five chapters in, but it had given rise to so many early memes that the publishers had to keep it. In fan circles this was an indication that somepony was a closet Nightling.

"Here we are." Raven lead them to one of the side room, where a table covered in food was waiting. "This is just a quick snack, mind you. I'll show you the really impressive stuff once Candle, RRBB and company arrive. You won't believe what we did to the place."

"I don't even want to know how many RGT-51 forms you filled out for that," Amethyst snickered.

"51? Please." Raven waved a hoof. "52C."

"Oooh! Somepony's being fancy."

"Not difficult after what you girls did during the Crystal Empire crisis. I know you think it's no big deal, but your help did a lot of good. I'd tell you the numbers, but it’ll probably bore you to sleep."

"It's fine." Lyra moved along the table, taking the seat furthest away from the entrance. "Soarin did all the actual work. We just spread a bit of awareness. Oh, and let me tell you, Soarin, you better get ready. RRBB and PaintDrop adore you."

"I think you're cool too," Dinky added quietly from between her sister and Chip Mint.

"And talking about them—" Soarin sighed flicking through his hoofheld "—seems the party will be delayed for a few hours. Paint's brother did something to make them late. They'll be here with the two o'clock train. SweetStuff will arrive an hour later, as will MightyDragon and..." Soarin paused. His lips curved into a wicked smile as he looked at Amethyst. "And Jade. Pone, I'd love to see you two in real life. My bits are on Jade, so you know."

"Bleh!" Amethyst grabbed the nearest bowl of orange juice. "It’ll be a short fight. Jade is probably some schoolfilly with braces, glasses, and a whole lot of acne, who imagines herself an aethernet monster."

"Says the mare who thought CEOWitch was a mare," Lyra whispered.

"Well, if Soarin would act like a normal decent being, maybe we wouldn't have come to the wrong conclusions," Amethyst grumbled. "Seriously, what's with the act? Are you worried that mares will hit on you?"

"You mean other than Brush and you?" Soarin arched a brow. "And yes it has happened before. I've been on fan sites which are hunting grounds. If ponies didn't know we were joking around they'd think MC was a dating site."

"You'd be surprised." Two couples formed thanks to it, three if Fluttershy has her way, Lyra thought. "But, yes. To put things in perspective such things happen. That's why whatever happens on the site stays on the site."

"Well, you got to admit that we have a high stallion ratio," Chip said. There was a moment's silence. All heads in the room turned his direction. "What? It's true! I’ve only been to a few other sites, but from what I saw for every stallion there are ten mares."

"How many stallions do we have on our site?" Dinky asked, leaning onto the edge of the table. "You and Soarin make two."

"MightyDragon is another for sure," Amethyst said between sips. "Tech, DannyFan potentially—"

"Lurkling, MasterOfThisAstra, Jade, and perhaps DarkSparkle," Lyra continued. "Not that much, to be honest."

"I don't think Jade and Dark are." Amethyst scratched her ear. "Don't know about TheRealLuna and PPI."

"Come on!" Soarin laughed. "PPI is Pinkie Pie. Even you must get that."

"Oh? And Luna is Princess Luna?" Amethyst kept sticking to her arguments. "Or is that TheRealLuna?"

"Max, there's stupid, then there's you! Just read PPI's posts! They scream Pinkie Pie! Also, she got in touch for the reservation, so I know for a fact."

"Well, sure. It's easy once they tell you who they are! For all we know PPI might have been—"

"As you can see, I was painfully correct to suspect they were here." A new voice interrupted; a male voice—clear, regal, used to being the constant center. Lyra didn't need to look to tell who the owner of this voice was, yet she did anyway. "Raven, you could be heard from the other wing." Prince Blueblood trotted forward. "Hey, Soarin," he said, giving the pegasus a nod.

"Your Highness." Raven jumped to her hooves. "It's unexpected for—"

"Raven, please." Blueblood rolled his eyes. "This isn't some official visit. We're all fans here."

"Oh." Raven ears relaxed. "Well how was I supposed to know? One day it's Blue, the next it's Your Royal Highness. I'm starting to lose track."

"You really need to get out more." Blueblood smirked. "Anyway, I was just bringing—" he stopped abruptly, glancing at the food. His muzzle wrinkled as he pulled his head back with as much disgust as if there was a pile of manure on the table. "Did you try to get more disgusting food? This stuff reeks! This is supposed to be the first Everhere convention and you serve them this?!"

A few hooves away, Dinky and Chip were staring starry-eyed at the prince. Beside them, Amethyst stopped chewing and cast a discrete magic spell to brush her mane into order.

"Get rid of this trash! I'll be taking care of the food from now on," Blueblood demanded, getting an annoyed look from Raven.

Soarin shrugged. "I don't know, Blue, looks good to me."

"And you would know, mister three-pies-a-day." Blueblood narrowed his eyes. "How you don't gain weight is beyond me. Anyway, I found somepony who belongs here." He turned around. "Come on, sweetie, no need to be afraid."

On cue, a light-beige mare appeared. Four sets of saddlebags covered her sides, and a large hat hid her magnificent cyan mane. One could easily mistake her for a tourist, yet Lyra knew better—the mare was not comfortable being associated with a human story series aimed at young colts. The fact that she had decided to come to the meetup was a huge step, as Lyra only knew too well.

"Umm, hello?" the mare said, breaking the newly-formed silence. "I'm Coco Pommel." Nopony reacted. "Umm, you might know me as Candle."

"Candle?" Amethyst glanced at her from head to hoof. "Wow, just look at you! You're exactly how I imagined!"

"Poor thing came to me asking for instructions." Blueblood placed a hoof on Coco's shoulder. "Thought I was a guard." He laughed, oblivious of the what-have-I-gotten-myself-into smile on her face. "Don't worry, Coco, I've gotten used to it. I remember Lyra here called me Bellucio once. To my face!" Laughter erupted. "And, and, and then went on to plug her site. In retrospect it was hilarious."

We're with you, Candle, Lyra thought. Coming out isn't easy. Trust me, I've been there.

"Lyra? Lyra!"

Lyra looked up. It took her a few moments to focus on her surroundings. Crystal tables, marble benches, the unmistakable shape of the Crystal Palace rising in the background. She had traveled thousands of miles to get here, yet that had done so little to escape her problems.

"Lyra, snap out of it." Moondancer said across her. "Deep breaths. Focus on my glasses."

Focus. That was the last thing that Lyra wanted right now. Glancing back down, she saw she was holding an empty glass. Had she finished her drink? She couldn't even remember ordering it.

"Don't worry, I'll get Sunburst to fetch you another."

"I really don't—" Lyra began.

"Oligosaccharide, get another kiwi-lemon for Lyra, will you?" Moondancer shouted to an orange stallion standing in line. "And maybe a bowl of crystal cherries?"

"Sure thing, my thaco," the stallion shouted back. "Any pineapple flakes?"

"No, no, cherries are fine. Thank you." Moondancer smiled for a few seconds, then turned around. Lyra felt the glass being teleported out of her hooves and onto her friend's side of the table. "You really should stop reliving it," she gently added. "You're not solving anything."

"You can say that again," Lyra sighed. Right now she felt someone had torn the sun out of her world, leaving her to wither in darkness. Months of concessions, compromises, and for what? She hadn't won anypony to her side. Instead, she had lost what she had.

"Hey, they'll come round. They are your parents." Moondancer said. "And it's not like it was a total secret. You spend one semester dating Vinyl. That had to raise some warning flags."

"One would think." Lyra tapped on the table with her forehooves. After weeks of deliberation and delaying, she had finally told the truth to her parents—that she wasn't into stallions and never would be. While suspected, it was as hard for them to hear as it was hard for her to say, yet she could never have expected their reaction. Being disowned would have been nicer.

"Here we are, ladies." Sunburst arrived with a large tray. "Kiwi-lemon, sweet and sour grape—" he levitated the drinks in front of Lyra and Moondancer "—a sparkling water for me, and a bowl of crystal cherries." He sat down next to Moondancer, who didn't waste a second to straighten his mane with a hoof.

You two. Lyra looked at them with a melancholic smile. Two of the biggest antisocial geeks in the S.G.U., they were competing for the forever alone title. Now they were a few months from getting married.

"I..." Lyra began. The words were stuck in her throat. She took a drink. It tasted nice, but didn't help in the least. "I think I broke up with BonBon." She could feel tears form in the corners of her eyes.

"Lyra?" Moondancer grabbed hold of Sunburst's hoof.

"I thought by appeasing my parents they would start to accept her. To accept me. So I moved back to Canterlot, stopped seeing her as much, stopped talking to her." Teardrops fell onto the table. "She tried to talk to me a few times, but I was so worried what my parents would think that I... I think I lost her."

"Lyra, if there's one thing I know it's that she loves you. Did you try talking to her?"

"I've been leaving it for later." Always leaving it for later. "I'm not sure it isn't too late. Why is coming out so difficult?"

"Lyra, I don't have any answers for you. Neither of us do. I just know that if I hadn't decided to try and get back in touch with our class I'd still be a grumpy recluse, waiting to live out my days all alone. I've no idea what will happen when you let others know about you, but give it a chance. Maybe it will work out for the better."

Maybe. My parents won't forgive me, though. Not after what I said to them. Lyra looked at her glass. It was empty again.

"Here, take mine." Sunburst pushed his glass towards her. "Not a healing potion, but still worth five HP."

Despite herself, Lyra cracked a smile. Geek humor. There were so many things it was good for. This wasn't one for them, but it was a welcome distraction from her darker thoughts.

"Talk to BonBon, compliment her buns—" Sunburst received a sharp slap on the back of the head. Seconds later, Moondancer instincts covered her face both in shock of his words and his reaction. "Wow! Talk about a murky subconscious. Anyway, compliment her, tell her what you told us and things will work out."

"Sorry, oligosaccharide," Moondancer whispered gently rubbing the spot she had just hit Sunburst.

"Yeah. You're probably right." Lyra took a gulp from his glass. The water wasn't as nice as her drink. "I'll come out to Equestria, tell BonBon how I feel, and fuck the consequences."

"Good plan." Sunburst carefully grabbed the hooves of his fiancée, ensuring she wouldn't be able to keep touching his sore spot. "And if that fails let me know. I'll talk to Cadence."

Another smack on the head followed, then a new series of apologies from Moondancer.

Talk to Cadence, Lyra thought. If only things were that simple.

3. The Main Group

Trains came and went. Noon was the busiest time in Canterlot by far, as the masses of ponies attested. It had taken Lyra ten minutes to find a somewhat quiet spot near the platform, and considerable effort to keep it. Now that they were there all that was left was to wait.

"So, it's just you and me." Lyra turned to the two very quiet foals beside her. After that eventful lunch at the palace, the initial Nightling group had split up. Amethyst, who had trouble staying awake, had gone to the hotel room to get some sleep before the evening's main event. Soarin had been ‘volunteered’ by Prince Blueblood to give Coco a tour of Canterlot, and Raven had to rush to catch up with work. That had left Lyra with the task of greeting the first major group of arrivals. Seeing how anxious Chip and Dinky were, she had let them tag along.

"Hey, I think I see them!" Chip shouted, fluttering ten feet in the air. "They're right there!" He pointed a hoof somewhere in the distance.

"Will you stop shouting!" Dinky whispered, tugging him by the tail with her magic. "You're embarrassing us!"

Lyra tried to suppress a chuckle. The two were the weirdest pair she'd ever seen. Dinky—always quiet and reserved—looked at things with enough cynicism that would make a college professor seem cheerful. She only spoke when she had to, and even then used her inner voice for most of the sentences. Chip, on the other hoof, was a do now think later type of pony. Far too energetic even for a pegasus, he'd jump from one topic to the next with such seamless fashion that it would take hours for anypony to take notice.

The colt looked down. "You want me to give you a lift?"

"No!" Dinky shivered, quickly releasing her magic hold.

"This isn't Cloudsdale, Prince," Lyra said, trying to keep a straight face. "We don't shout over others here."

"Sorry." Chip flew back to the ground. "I'm just so excited! What do you think they'll look like? Brush said she's a pegasus, so maybe she'll be something like Fleetfoot? Or—" he stopped his ears perking up. "What if she's Rainbow Dash? That would explain so much!"

"Brush? Rainbow Dash?" Dinky scoffed. "You're in for a surprise."

Youth, Lyra thought. This was the point in time they could be as cynical or lighthearted as they wished: the tender age of heartbreak as the poet called it. Hopefully, they have that part spared.

"Oh, right! She said she was a supermodel," Chip noted, at which point Lyra choked. Damnit, Chip! she thought, coughing away from the two. Technically the colt wasn't wrong. There had been one point at which Fluttershy had been on several magazine covers, but calling her a supermodel was like calling Prince Blueblood a diplomat.

As Lyra was coughing, a pony bumped into her without as much as an apology. Unsurprising, considering this was the second busiest time at the station. Lyra looked up to catch a glance of the pony in question, but instead she saw something entirely unexpected: a short distance away, standing by the station’s water fountain, stood a pony Lyra hasn't gotten to see in months.

"Twilight?" Lyra shouted through the crowd. No reaction. The alicorn didn't budge, continuing to scribble something in a notebook. "Twilight!" she shouted again to the same effect. Some things never change. Lyra shook her head. "Twilight!" She said again, this time using a sound amplification spell.

The spell hit its target head on. Twilight's left ear twitched, then turned in Lyra's direction, followed moments later by the Princesses’ entire head. An expression of minor terror covered her face as she stared at Lyra, as confused as a newcomer to a Pinkie Pie party.

"Twilight." Lyra waved, inviting her to come over.

The alicorn hesitated. She glanced at her notebook, then back at Lyra. Purple wings moved into a really-sorry-but-I'm-doing-something-very-important-right-now position. Waiting for just long enough to be absolutely sure she was understood, Twilight then wrapped her wings around her chest in a sorry-next-time, goodbye hug. Lyra, however, wasn't dissuaded. Tilting her head she made a sad face, almost weeping "please" through the crowd—the same she had used when they were school-fillies, and the one she knew Twilight couldn't resist.

No! Twilight shook her head, wings briskly moving behind her. The alicorn frowned, glared at her friend, stomped on the pavement, then—with a sigh and an eye roll—trotted through the crowd.

"Will you stop guilt tripping me?" the Princess grumbled as she reached Lyra.

"Nope!" The mint unicorn laughed, then gave her a hug. "How are you, Twi? It's been ages!"

"Lyra, we see each other literally every day," Twilight began. "It's not like we're continents apart of anything."

"I know, I know. It's just that we don't chat anymore."

"Yes, you have me there. I keep meaning to, but you know how it is nowadays? Between my princess duties and Starlight I barely get a chance to rest my flank, let alone anything more. And you with your—" Twilight bit her lip. Her ears flopped down. "I heard what happened between you and your parents."

"Yeah." Lyra looked away. Guess I'll have to get used to the topic coming up. "Things happened. But let's talk of other things." I’m not letting that ruin this event! "What are you doing here? When you're not falling asleep in your library you're usually off saving Equestria."

"Ha ha." Twilight narrowed her eyes. "First of all, I do not fall asleep in my library! And second, I'm here on royal princess palace business. I just wanted to clear my thoughts for a while."

"Oh? Another speech?" Lyra grinned. "Or maybe—"

"Wherever you're going with that, stop." Twilight glared at her. "And what about you? I heard you moved permanently to Ponyville...again."

"True." Lyra nodded. "I'm actually, believe it or not, here organizing a meetup of my favorite book series. Want to join? Amethyst, Moondancer, and Sunburst are here. I bet we can grab Minuette, Lemon—"

"Oh, look at the time!" Twilight stepped back. "Maybe next time? Really sorry, but it's really not a good moment right now."

Lyra opened her mouth to say something, but before she could,Twilight had teleported out of sight.

Yep, some things never change. This was the first time Twilight used a teleportation spell to run away. Most often she'd just gallop. Being an alicorn clearly had its small advantages.

"Lyra! Lyra!" Chip flew up to her through the crowd. "The train is here!" The colt pointed towards the platform. "They're here! They're here!"

"Okay, okay," Lyra laughed. Chip was as excitable in real life as he was on the site. Looking at him, one would imagine Danny himself would arrive under the amazed stares of the crowd and proceed to greet them. That would be a sight. Part of Lyra hoped it would happen. At least then she'd be able to rationalize a large part of her life.

The train from Ponyville stopped at the platform. Chip's pushing came to an end, as he waited, wings fluttering with anticipation. Beside him, Dinky was trying to give the impression of being calm while she chewed on her lower lip. It's alright, filly. Lyra placed a hoof on her shoulder. She'll be there. She smiled the unspoken words as Dinky looked up.

"Is it them?" Chip pointed as dozens of ponies went onto the platform. "What do they look like?"

"Prince, I think we'll recognize them when we see—"

The sentence remained unfinished. Never had a greater understatement been made. Lyra knew of MasterOfThisAstra’s cosplay idea, she had even seen Fluttershy's in her provocative outfit, yet not in her wildest fantasies did she imagine the pegasus would walk through Canterlot in it. Whoa! Lyra thought, swallowing the saliva gathering in her mouth. To say that the outfit was remarkable would be like comparing a candle to the sun. Whoever the tailor was she had managed to capture both the spirit and appearance of Molly Williams of the Midnight Castle series: the blouse with the heart shaped kitten, the pink denim vest of badges—each holding a letter of Bellucio's name—even the pink trousers with the knee tear were crafted to perfection.

"Molly," Lyra whispered, forgetting herself.

The real magic, however, wasn't the clothes, but how Fluttershy's wore them. There were lots of jokes about her brief modeling career, but looking at her now Lyra had to admit she pulled it off spectacularly.

"Is she wearing rearware?" A hushed comment reached Lyra.

"That's brave."

"I say it's disgraceful, that’s what it is!"

A wave of whispers followed. The crowd registered the scene, conveyed their indignation, envy, and adoration in low voices, then returned to their everyday concerns. The spectacle, however, didn't end there. Shortly after, MasterOfThisAstra walked onto the platform in an even more elaborate outfit. The stallion had chosen to go with Bellucio's “rocker set” described in Am I Who I Am? One look at him was enough to tell Lyra exactly why Fluttershy had fallen head over hooves. MasterOfThisAstra's coat and short mane were a mix of silver and glistening gold, as if he'd been snatched from the cover of a fashion magazine. And he wore glasses.

"Wow, you weren't kidding." For the first time today, Chip seemed to be at a lack for words. "No way that's Brush!"

"That's what I said." Lyra nodded. "Well, let's go—"

"That's ridiculous!" a grey filly with blue rimmed glasses shouted as she hopped off the train. "Honestly! Karl I can understand, but Eric? If anything he's more likely to go with Caprice, assuming one of them could change form."

"But Thilver Thpoon!" A red-maned filly jumped behind her. She too had glasses. "Blazen and Eric would be thoooo cute! And they already have that'd they're betht friends."

"No! I'm not listening!" The grey filly raised her chin high, going next to Fluttershy. "Brush, please tell her!"

"Umm, well." Fluttershy dared a nervous smile. "There are no bad ships?"

"Seriously? Et tu Porcia?" The grey filly rolled her eyes.

"Stop annoying Scoop," MasterOfThisAstra hissed. "It was enough listening to your flawed logic throughout the ride."

"Flutterthy, you're okay with male to male shi—" before the red mane could finish, Fluttershy's wing covered the filly's mouth.

"Brush! Brush!" Chip Mint zipped through the crowd right to the group. "It's this really you? You look way different."

The usual exchange of greetings and usernames followed, yet Lyra had her attention elsewhere. As much excitement and laughter was coming from the group, there was just as much disappointment emanating from Dinky.

"Hey, you okay?" Lyra asked. Dinky nodded in the fashion that indicated she was anything but. "Don't blame yourself. Once she has sorted her issues she'll be okay. Maybe she just needs a weekend on her own to think things through?"

"I guess..."

Hang in there, kiddo. Sometimes life just has it in for us.

"You're leaving?” Lyra shouted. “Just like that?"

"Shh, mare. The neighbors will hear." Vinyl waved a hoof in a half-hearted attempt to calm her down.

"Fuck the neighbors!" Lyra fought to hold back tears of rage.

Today was supposed to mark her six year anniversary with Vinyl. It was difficult to imagine that when Lyra had woken up she had been the happiest mare alive. Plans had been made, reservations confirmed, she had even managed to scrape enough bits to buy that amplifier Vinyl had always wanted. Instead, she had found a note with "I'm leaving" on the pillow.

"Do you have any idea what you've done to me?!" Lyra covered her eyes with her foreleg.

"Mare, calm. It's—"

"Calm?!" Lyra stomped on the floor. An angry yell from the neighbor downstairs followed moments after. "You broke up with me with a note! On our six month anniversary! You didn't bother to tell me in—"

"I left a note because I knew you'd react like this!" Vinyl's horn flashed blue. An aura bubble enveloped them, then grew to fill the entire room. "Don't be the crazy marefriend. It must suck but it's done. No turning back."

"You're unbelievable!" Lyra turned away. "It's always about you. Always was! You know, they warned me about you! They told me how egotistical you are, but I was too much in love to see!"

"Oh, look who's talking."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lyra snapped back, her eyes locking on Vinyl's.

"There!" The white unicorn pointed her. "That's exactly what I'm talking about! I tried to be subtle about it, but you never got the hint! I've been trying for six months! You think it was easy for me to just pack up and leave? Mare, I'm out of money, no place to stay, plus—"

"Then why did you go?" Lyra rushed forward. Before she knew it she was hugging Vinyl, clinging to her as if her very life depended on it. "Did I do something wrong?" Tears poured on her ex’s fur. "Didn't you like what we have?"

"Shhh, shhh."

Lyra could feel a hoof stroking her mane: a gentle touch that felt like sunlight caressing her...after she'd had her heart torn out. For minutes she remained like this, crying, weeping, until there were no more tears left. And all that time, Vinyl didn't say a word.

"What happened to us, Vinyl?" Lyra asked. "What did I do?"

"You never asked yourself the question," her ex whispered. "Not once."

"What question?"

"If I'm really gay."

A sudden chill swept through Lyra's body, sinking in deeper than the sadness, deeper than the hurt. What are you talking about? Lyra asked, although she knew. The fear she had six months ago had resurfaced. Or had it? She and Vinyl had been close since joining the conservatory. Their relationship had been very much unlike the ones Lyra had had with Moondancer, Amethyst, or the rest of her childhood friends; she had felt attraction towards Vinyl, and at the time it seemed Vinyl had felt the same.

Their first kiss was Lyra's experiment, the first time she stopped considering herself a monster and tried to act on her feelings. Her greatest fear was that Vinyl wouldn't reciprocate. Now, six months later, Lyra wasn't sure if it wouldn't have been better if she hadn't.

"You're not?" Lyra stepped back.

"I'm not sure." Her ex shrugged. "I kicked the hay with a stallion last week." Lyra covered her mouth with a hoof. "It was just a one night thing. I had done a gig, and I had a bit to drink, so why not. The thing is, I liked it. I liked it a lot. More—"

"Go ahead." Lyra clenched her teeth. "Just say it."

"I liked it more than the times with you." Vinyl turned away, avoiding Lyra's glance. "Look, I wasn't miserable with you. I—"

"Stop it."

"Like heck! I should have told you this days ago, not plot this whole thing like the coward I am! You're the marefriend everypony would dream to have, I just..." The glow around Vinyl's horn vanished, along with the magic bubble that had encompassed them. "I just need to figure things out on my own."

Lyra remained silent.

"Sorry, Lyra. I just want to think things through for a while."

You still broke my heart, Vinyl. And it hurts... it hurts so much.

"Hello, Nightlings." Lyra gave Fluttershy a gentle hug, careful not to ruin the costume. "I see you've gone back to modeling?"

"Umm, no," Fluttershy whispered, flustered. "I was... convinced to spend the day like this."

"I'm sure." Lyra winked. You're so easy to tease, Brush. "And this must be Mota?" She extended a hoof in greeting.

"Goldenboy." MasterOfThisAstra looked at Lyra, then at her hoof, then back at Lyra again. "I know it's a novel concept, but Celestial colleges have changed a bit since the five-hundreds. It's not for virgins only anymore."

"Err?" Lyra asked, uncertain what he was referring to. Before she could ask, Goldenboy hugged her—slightly more intensely than she'd wanted—then stepped back. His mane smelled of lilac, a peculiar choice as far as Lyra was concerned. "Well, you certainly make a great Bellucio. Good thing you didn't go for the white outfit from Unnatural Disaster," she attempted a chuckle. "That would have caused quite a—" a step away Fluttershy started shaking her vigorously "—stir."

"Funny you should say that." Goldenboy's smile widened. "I'll be wearing that tonight." Fluttershy sighed, looking at the ground.

"Wait! You have two costumes?" Lyra blinked. Talk about dedication.

"Yes, he's an idiot." The grey filly shoved herself into the conversation. "Hey, Lyra! I know I shouldn't do this at the station, but before we split there's something I want to give you."

The filly put her muzzle in her saddlebag and took out a small leather pouch. That's new, Lyra thought. She had expected drawings or even one of the miniature statues everypony was constantly talking about. This felt different.

Taking hold of the pouch with her magic, Lyra pulled it towards her and opened it. A metal edge emerged, gleaming under the rays of the sun. What is this?

"Silver Spoon..." Lyra was at a total lack of words. Shaped like a filly's horseshoe, the object was made of two silver parts, light and dark, each with a relief of a character on it. One was Lyra laying on the ground casually casting a spell, the other—her humanized self playing a lyre. If this were to happen it would, without a doubt, be the most eventful moment of her life. Just looking at it brought tears to her eyes. "It's... I don't know what to say."

"You didn't have an OC, so I just—"

"Come here, you!" Lyra levitated Silver Spoon up, then gave her a tight hug. "Thank you. You've no idea how much it means."

"Umm, okay?" Silver Spoon said, at a loss what had just happened.

"Now you made it get to her head." Goldenboy tugged on the tail of his still floating sister, and pulled her to the ground like a balloon at a fair. The action was not lost on Silver Spoon, who shoved him sharply in the stomach.

"It's out of this world." Lyra turned the silver horseshoe in the air, carefully inspecting every detail. If she wasn't in the middle of the train station, she'd do it for hours. Twenty five years and the best gift i get is from a filly I met on Midnight Castle aethernet site. Stars bless you, PaintDrop.

"I just made the drawings. I paid to have it made professionally," Silver Spoon explained. "It was a relief to see they didn't mess up."

"Well, I guess you own my soul now," Lyra laughed, putting the gift back in its pouch. "But you know what? I make a pretty good human!"

"Well, I can only—"

"You're PaintDrop, right?" Chip Mint shoved in in typical fashion, wings flapping with excitement. "Wow! I thought you'd be much older with the way you draw... and the things you draw," he added with a smirk. "I thought you'd be graduating."

"Well, I—"

"And you're RRBB!" Chip rushed to the red maned filly on the other side of Goldenboy and Fluttershy. "I thought you'd be way more threatening. I'm curious, though, does RRBB stand for anything? I've been trying to figure it out, but there's nothing in the scrolls that—"

"Really rude beautiful bitch," a sharp voice said from the train.

Everyone looked up. A pink filly, the same age as Dinky, stood at the wagon, uncertain whether to get down or not. Her violet mane was groomed to perfection, yet her eyes were red, as if she had spent the entire trip rubbing them.

"Di!" Dinky beamed. "You came!"

"Hi, all." The filly attempted to smile, but halfway there gave up.She instead let out a deep sigh.. Her lip trembled. "Umm, sorry I'm not much fun. I had a rough night, and..." She took a step backward into the train, almost afraid to leave its safety. "No matter. A quick rest and I'll be fine. Danny faced way worse in his adventures, am I right? What's a little sleep deprivation to a Nightling?"

Oh, Di. Lyra's ears flopped. The filly was trying to act brave, but everypony could see through her. Her eyes, her expression, even the faint scars still visible on her legs told the story of a filly that had gone through a rough period. It was possible that she had hurt herself far more than she had let on in her PMs with Lyra. Maybe she had tried to break a leg again? Maybe she'd tried something worse? Yet despite everything,she had chosen to fight for a chance at being happy.

"Di, you're tiara's missing," Dinky remarked.

"Oh." Diamond Tiara tapped the top of her head a few times, only now noticing the absence of her accessory. "It must have fallen off inside somewhere. I'll go find it."

"I'll help," Dinky offered. "Chip, you keep Twist and the others company, okay?"

"Err, sure." Chip nodded. Even at his level of obnoxiousness he couldn't mistake such a clear hint.

Good on you, Di, Lyra thought. You didn't give up. Not like I did.

It's not like I'm giving up. Lyra kept staring at the building. It's just temporary until things calm down.

It felt weird moving back to Canterlot, weirder still was renting a place of her own. So far Lyra had lived with her parents or shared a place with Vinyl. Neither option was particularly good right now: her parents weren't at all happy with her life choices, and as for Vinyl, Lyra still avoided her.

"You know you can stay at my house," Moondancer offered. "It's not the tidiest place in Equestria, but it's free."

"You know I can't." Besides you're up all night, every night, chatting with your boyfriend. "This place will be fine. I remember I considered renting one of those when I..." She paused. "It'll be fine."

"Well, if you change your mind, you can always be my guest."

"Thanks." Lyra adjusted her saddlebags. "It's appreciated. Really."

"Look, I need to go to a lecture, but I'm here if you need anything. Okay?" Moondancer gave Lyra a quick goodbye hug. "Anything, anytime. Got it?" she added, before breaking into a gallop.

Anything, anytime. Lyra thought. Bon Bon had offered the same. Despite her own complicated life she had managed to make the commitment. Meanwhile, Lyra—a university student—had gotten cold hooves because she didn't want to bare the stress of disappointing her parents. The move was just that, a way to prove to her family that she could live as a normal, respectable mare. Renting an apartment was the first step. Finding a job was the second.

With a deep breath and a prayer, Lyra opened the door and stepped into the building. The corridor was dark and narrow. Getting to her room proved somewhat of a challenge with the saddlebags constantly brushing against both walls. Third door to the right. Lyra focused her magic on the lock and input the aether code. There was a click and a creak, then the door swung open.

"Home sweet home, I guess," Lyra said. The room was smaller than it seemed on the pictures, yet well kept and cosy. It only had two rooms: a kitchen-bedroom and a small bathroom. No toilet, that was shared among the renters on the floor. Far from ideal, but not the end of the world.

Closing the door, Lyra dropped her saddlebags on the floor, then flopped on the bed. The sheets were rough and smelled of detergent. First thing she'd do after getting a job would be to buy new ones. Thank Celestia for university-sponsored part-time jobs. Without any income life would have been difficult.

Are you mad at me, Bon Bon? I know this isn't what we wanted, but I hope you understand. I had no choice but to compromise. Lyra closed her eyes. Her parents had pressured her into ending her "immoral relationship" and she, the fool she was, had agreed. The plan was to gradually win them over by doing what she was supposed to do: study, work, get good grades, and most of all stop sleeping around with some earth mare.

"Bon Bon," she whispered. "Why did you let me go?"

Lyra's stomach growled, reminding her she hadn't eaten since yesterday evening. With all the stress lately she had completely lost her appetite, only occasionally remembering to have a bite. Her stomach, however, kept making its thoughts on the matter known.

Twenty seven bits. Those were her entire savings. Not much by any stretch of the imagination. It was enough for a snack at Doughnut Jo's. The thought had some appeal; Lyra was a regular there, though she ran the risk of bumping into a familiar face at a time she wanted to be left alone. The other option was to find a food stall in Canterlot park.

Jo's, park, Jo's, park. The unicorn mused. Park. I hope chestnuts are in season. She got up, took one quick look at the room and left. There'd be time to unpack later.

Half of the trees in the bark were bare. The autumn teams had started the preparations for winter. A few more weeks and snow clouds would be brought in from Cloudsdale. Lyra didn't particularly like winter, but she didn't hate it either. And, as the saying went, "spring was always more beautiful after snow".

"Singing telegram, Miss?" A unicorn approached her as she was walking. "Only today for ten bits you can have a message of two hundred words or less delivered to friends and family in musical form."

Argh! Another salespony! They had become a menace lately. Lyra smiled, trying to keep her composure. Maybe if I don't pay attention she'll go away?

"Is there anypony in your life you'd like to surprise, Miss?" The salespony levitated a brochure in front of Lyra's face. "Since you're my first customer, I'll also put in fifty additional words."

"I'm sorry, but the pony I'd wish to send a message is in Ponyville." Why did I say that? Lyra flicked her ears. Engaging in conversation with a salespony was the worst possible approach.

"Well, you're in luck!" A new brochure levitated before Lyra's eyes, replacing the last. "With Princess Twilight Sparkle making it her home, we have extended our services to cover that areas as part of the Princess Package! Ten bits for a staggering three hundred words sung by our charming and talented performers. What do you say?"

Three hundred words. For that much Lyra could send a song to Bon Bon, stars know she deserved it. Lyra bit her lip. Ten bits and should could explain everything, maybe even bring a smile to her marefriend's face. It would be a small gesture, but enough to show things between them hadn't changed. Maybe Bon Bon would send a singing telegram back? Maybe she'd come visit. Maybe...

"No, I don't have anypony to send a telegram to." Lyra looked at the ground. "Maybe later." Later would be better. We'll have plenty of time once I settle things with my parents.

"Do you prefer the attic or the guest room?" Moondancer asked, levitating a pile of books into the corner. "Guest room has a better bed, but is stuffy. Unless there are any last minute changes on the weather schedule it's expected to be clear skies for the next three days so you don't need to worry about leaky roofs. Not that my roof leaks!"

"Attic is fine." Lyra kept her eyes fixed on the scrollcase. Moondancer's collection was impressive. There were bookstores with less foal stories. The pearl in the crown, however, was the shelf right the middle where twenty empty slots patiently were patiently to be filled. "You've set this up for Everhere, haven't you?" Lyra asked with a sly smile. "And I thought you were 'just helping out with the site,' as you so insistently claimed."

"Hey!" A pillow flew through the room, hitting Lyra smack center in her face. "Ouch! So sorry!" Moondancer rushed to her. "You okay? I didn't mean to. Really!"

"I'll survive," Lyra pulled away. "And I deserved that."

"No, it's entirely my... Well, maybe you deserved it a bit." Moondancer hid a chuckle behind her hoof. "But yes, I admit, I like the new take on the series. I really don't know why Max is so determined to prove it's the worst thing since the changeling invasion. Every day she spams with 'definite proof' that the next chapter would ruin the franchise, mark the beginning of the end, and so on."

"Are you surprised? She said the same about Volume 5 at one point."

"Not like I can forget." Moondancer rolled her eyes. "She spent half her vacation here in Canterlot. Now, I love her and all, but sometimes..." She let out a deep sigh. "Anyway, we better get going."

"You just can't wait for him to get here." Lyra smirked. You've no idea how much I envy you. "You're right, though. Duty calls." She trotted towards the door. "I’m calling it now, this will be one wild meet-up."

"Won't Bon Bon be joining?" Moondancer levitated a few more books from the floor, stacking them against the only free wall. "She PMed me she was looking forward to seeing you in your native environment."

"I don't know. She got a sudden work thing." I should have made her something nice for breakfast. "One can only hope."

"Well why don't you PM her? At times a little pressure is what a relationship needs. If you ask me—"

A knock on the door cut Moondancer short—a rapid succession of raps that attempted, and failed, to form any meaningful rhythm. Both mares looked at each other, sharing the unspoken "she’s still doing that" glance. The knocking continued, going from funny to absurdly ridiculous. Lyra rolled her eyes and with an, "I can't take this anymore" grumble opened the door.

"Good morning, girls!" Amethyst waved from outside. "How are things?"

"It's two in the afternoon." Lyra frowned, stepping aside so that Amethyst could enter.

"That's your subjective opinion. Right, Moony?" Amethyst winked.

"She's got you there." Moondancer nodded, hoof on chin. “I did wake up an hour ago…”

"See? I'm always right." Amethyst looked around for a place to sit. Failing to find anything suitable she leaned against the wall between two stacks of books. "So what's up?" She tilted her head sideways, starting to read the book titles.

"We were going to meet Mighty." Lyra held the door half open. "Like literally going."

"Cool. Can I borrow this?" Amethyst pointed to one of the books in the stack. "It got a lot of good reviews, I remember."

"Max!" Lyra raised her voice. "Train station! Now!" She used some magic to pull her friend away from the wall. "Didn't you say you were getting some down time at the hotel, by the way?"

"Down time?" Amethyst laughed. "With five hyperactive foals and a pair of lovey-doveys? Nah, I prefer to tag along with you. Much more relaxing. Moony, it's okay I borrowed that, right?"

"Sure." Moondancer levitated the book out of the stack. "Just try not to chew the pages, okay?"

"That was one time, sheesh!" Amethyst stomped her hoof. "I was a filly back then! I apologized, didn't—"

"Girls!" Lyra shouted. "We can discuss the on the way to the station! Moony, stop rearranging the stacks! Max, grab that book and come along!"

Both Amethyst and Moondancer glanced at each other in silence. None of them moved an inch, a nonverbal conversation transpiring between them.

"We better go," Moondancer said at last, a stone serious expression on her face. "Else Lyra might ban us and lock the conversation."

"Yep." Amethyst nodded. "Do you think she'll lock the whole house or just the room?"

"Just the room. If she locks the whole house she won't be able to lock the rooms individually later on.

"Riiiight!" Amethyst waved a hoof in the air. "Mass room locking! Definitely better than a single house locking."

"Argh!" Lyra turned around. Having her friends joke about was all fine and well, but not when they were about to be late. "I'm going!" She trotted out at the sound of laughter behind her. When did I become so serious? Lyra thought. Back in high school she and Minuette were the crazy ones. Obviously, adulthood changed ponies in different ways.

The walk to the station was an interesting mix of gossip, high-school memories, and Midnight Castle discussions. Amethyst continued to express skepticism about the new direction of the series, while Moondancer tore down all of her theories, quoting old chat posts. Lyra contented herself to the occasional comment, mostly in relation to future chapter speculation. Her thoughts lingered on RRBB. The filly hadn't seemed particularly happy, even Dinky's efforts hadn't managed to cheer her up all that much. Lyra's hope was that the event—and the surprise appearance of S.Child—would prove a large enough distraction to put a smile on RRBB's face.

The amount of ponies at the station was staggering, even more so than before. According to the information board a number of trains had been delayed, causing annoyed commuters to fill up the area like bees squished in a jar. The Ponyville express was among the delays, the reason given being "sheep". On the upside, the train from the Crystal Empire was expected to arrive twenty minutes early.

"Well, we have ten minutes until your geek arrives," Amethyst noted. "We can grab a snack, what do you think?"

"Max, there's more to life than eating and sleeping." Moondancer shook her head. "And you know how bad diner food is."

"Look, it's hot and I'm thirsty!"

"Maybe it's not such a bad idea." Lyra mused. I could use some junk food, and it'll definitely be less crowded.

Moondancer glanced in the direction of the Canterlot bridge. A trickle of steam was visible on the horizon, yet it was impossible to tell which train it was coming from.

"Okay, you win!” Moondancer capitulated. “Let's grab some shakes."

It didn't take them long to find a suitable coffee shop. Train station prices managed to keep the majority of the crowd outside. There was no reason for anypony to pay thirty bits for a glass of shaved ice and some biscuits.

"I'll get us a table." Lyra scanned the coffee shop. "You two buy what you want to—" She stopped. Sitting alone by the window was somepony familiar, the same somepony Lyra had bumped into a few hours earlier. "Twilight?"

The Princess in question froze. Her eyes and ears slowly turned in Lyra's direction, as if she was a filly caught stealing from the cookie jar. A guilty smile formed on Twilight's face.

"Err, fancy meeting you here," Twilight said, her ears flat on her scalp. "How are you?"

"Don't you "how are you" me, Twi!" Lyra went to the table, sitting across Twilight with a loud thump. "You spin me some lie that you're here on official royal business, teleport without a proper goodbye, and now I catch you enjoying a—" Lyra glanced at the drink on the table "—frozen pumpkin surprise?"

"Look, it's really not what you think!" The Princess waved her hooves defensively. "The truth is I—"

"Twilight!" Amethyst joined in. "Mare, I never expected to see you here! How have you been? We rarely get to chat these days. What with you saving Equestria and me saving town hall." She let out a dry chuckle.

"Err, well, you know how it is." Twilight glanced at the exit. "Never a dull moment, am I right?"

"You can say that again." Amethyst nodded. "You wouldn't believe the shit I have to go through. The Mayor's pushing for city status again, which is ludicrous since we are far from the required population. And, get this, I have to seek out all living relatives of everypony in Ponyville to give weight to her claim. As if that would pass."

"Well I, sure that—"

"Guess who!" Moondancer snuck up, tapping Twilight on the shoulder. "Give me a hug, you old rascal!" Before Twilight could protest, Moondancer did just that, squeezing her tightly as if the two hadn't seen each other for years. "Why didn't you tell me you were in Canterlot? We could have caught up on stuff."

"That's what I asked her," Lyra grumbled.

"Let me just put the drinks here." A pitcher of lemonade and three bowls gently floated onto the table. "I'll go fetch you a bowl as well."

"No, really, I'm fine," Twilight protested. "I was about to leave anyway. You know, important work and stuff."

"Ha! I bet you're on a date and are ashamed of having us around," Amethyst snickered. "Right? Right?"

"Pff, as if!" Twilight waved a hoof. "He's just somepony I consider a friend."

"A-ha!" Amethyst let out a victorious shout, causing several patrons to look in their direction. "I knew it!"

"You know nothing, Max!" Twilight snapped back. "If I say he's a friend then he's a friend! Seriously, the way you jump to conclusions is ridiculous. And even if he were my coltfriend, that would be no reason for me to be ashamed by anypony! Would you think logically for once and—" The Princess stopped, only now noticing that all mares at the table were staring at her with their mouths ajar. "What?"

"I'll go to the fountain to cool off." Amethyst stood up and left the coffee shop, not even taking a lick of lemonade. Twilight stared at her, the tips of her wings tingling.

"I don't understand..." The Princess turned to Moondancer. "What happened? What did I do wrong?"

"Err, Twi." Lyra smiled with sympathy. "You called her Max."

"So? I don't see what—" Twilight stopped. "Oh," she uttered, hiding her face in her hooves. "Oh..."

"You're DarkSparkle, aren't you?" Moondancer moved closer. "I thought the posts sounded familiar, but since I couldn't trace the aether dig, I assumed it came from the Palace. Serves me right for not sending a reverse ping and checking the time delay."

No answer came. Seconds of silence became minutes. All three mares sat at the table without saying a word. On occasion one of them would pour herself some lemonade, then return to the silence. Damn it, Twi! Lyra sighed internally. How do you always manage to make things weird? It’s just like Moony's birthday all over again.

"It's okay, Twilight." Moondancer took the Princess' hoof into her own. "We're not upset. We just want to know why you didn't tell us."

"Because..." Twilight sniffled. "What would ponies think if they learned that the Princess of Friendship writes fanfiction for a colt's series? And I'm not talking about Princess Celestia. What will the press say? What will the ordinary ponies say?"

"That's all?" Lyra arched a brow. "What would they think because you have a weird hobby? For one they'll probably think it's cool, since it's you doing it. I mean, come on, who else has saved Equestria so many times in the last decade and earned her alicorn wings, literally? Also, did you forget what I said on the site? What happens on the site stays on the site."

"We would have kept your secret, Twi." Moondancer nodded. "I thought you knew you could trust us."

"I do, it's just..." Twilight closed her eyes, then took a deep breath of air. A moment later she exhaled. "You're right. I should have told you, not act like a spoiled child." She opened her eyes. "To be honest, I didn't expect to return to the site. After Max's...criticism—" chuckles escaped Lyra and Moondancer "—I had decided to move on to the next fanfic site. I only checked it again out of curiosity the following day and...well, you pretty much know what happened after that."

"Meanwhile Max spent close to two days crying." Lyra shook her head. Sorry if I'm harsh, Twi, but it has to be said. "Though, I'm glad you replied to her PMs after your return. She was so happy back then."

"Yeah, I noticed." Twilight dared a smile. "At times it almost felt as if she was hitting on me."

"Not impossible. Personally, I thought Jade was. Quite vigorously at that."

"Oh, he definitely was. He even sent me some love poems." Twilight levitated her slushy and took a sip. "In fact we agreed to meet at the fountain once he arrives from the Crystal Empire."

"So that's why you were trying to shoo me away?" Lyra grinned. "Well, that explains a lot."

"Yes, well—"

"Crap!" Moondancer suddenly jumped to her hooves. Once more several heads turned in her direction. "You were supposed to meet with him at the fountain?" she asked, grabbing Twilight by the shoulders.

"Err, yes?" Twilight blinked.

"Oh, merciful Celestia." Lyra facehooved.

"Why?" Twilight looked from Moondancer to Lyra, then back again. "What?"

As Moondancer began to answer the door of the coffee shop swung open and three ponies entered. One Lyra instantly recognized as Sunburst—Moondancer's significant other, better known as MightyDragon on the site. Closely behind him was Amethyst who had her hooves wrapped around a rather attractive crystal pegasus.

"Hey, girls," Amethyst said, with a smile brighter than the sun. "Guess I was wrong. Jade the Evervirgin really is a stallion."

6. The Suprise Appearences

“Isn't this convenient?” BonBon whispered into Lyra’s ear.

Silence filled the room, occasionally disturbed by the shuffling of hooves and hushed whispers. That’s one way to keep everypony in the dark. Lyra felt her pulse quicken.

“Maybe they are building a human as we speak?” BonBon asked with a giggle.

“Hush!” Lyra pushed her away. Several horns lit up in the room, providing just enough light for Lyra to make out Blueblood sneaking off to the improvised stage. At the same time she also caught a glimpse of Jade reluctantly pulling away from Amethyst’s kiss as more lights started to appear.

Seriously, Amethyst? Lyra snorted. There’s a time and place for that sort of thing and this isn’t it. Thank the stars that Rarity wasn't here. There would have been another hour-long talk of assurances that, despite the obvious, the meetup was in fact safe. The thought made her glance about in search of Sweetie Belle. The filly was easy to spot, sitting in the far corner of the room, with the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The other fillies and Chip were there as well... with the exception of Dinky. Lyra glanced about, but before she could spot her, all the lights lit back up.

“Good evening, my little ponies.” The regal figure of Princess Celestia smiled from the middle of the room. “And thank you so much for having me at your event.”

There was a moment of silence, as the ponies tried to assess what was going on. Lyra herself wasn't sure how to react. Studying at the S.G.U., she had the privilege of seeing the monarch on a weekly basis, but having her here at an event of such nature send a shiver down her spine. Hay! She probably thinks we're weirdos! Lyra’s glance shifted from Celestia to Goldenboy and Fluttershy, both of which were wearing highly provocative humieware.

“Please, there's nothing to be frightened of,” Princess Celestia assured. “I might not share your enthusiasm in…clothes, although it really suits you, Fluttershy.” She laughed gently, causing the yellow pegasus to turn red with shame. “But I admire your passion. As you might imagine I've been around for some time, so have seen crazes come and go. I’m hardly one to be surprised that the Midnight Castle series has found admirers outside of its target audience. It might be coltfiction, but it tells us values we should live by, even when it's difficult for us to do so. And you have been doing precisely that. You've created a magnificent site with a strong and caring community, that has gone beyond helping each other. I don't need to remind you what you managed to achieve during the Crystal Empire crisis. Knowing Lyra and the rest of you, you probably feel that it wasn't a big deal. That anypony would have done the same in your place. In a way, you are correct.”

Oh, stars! Oh, stars! Lyra’s was trembling. She hadn't been prepared for this. Hearing praise from Raven and Blueblood was nerve racking enough, hearing it from Prince Celestia was outright terrifying. Her legs suddenly gave in. One second Lyra felt herself lose balance, the next a strong hoof grabbed her.

“Hang in there,” BonBon whispered. “Just lean on me.”

Lyra could only smile, trying to hold back her tears. Raven, you beautiful jerk. If I’d known this would happen I'd have galloped home early. At this very moment everything terrible in Lyra’s life had been swept away. Miracles did indeed happen.

“Ponies all over Equestria helped in any way they could, but the site was instrumental in coordinating their efforts.” Celestia nodded in Lyra’s direction. “As Danny would say ‘Let's do this together’ and you did, for which I, and the entire Crystal Empire, are thankful.”

The room fell in silence. It was apparent that the speech had a profound effect on everypony. Hold me, Lyra thought as she let herself be held by BonBon. In this magical moment she could allow herself to fantasize.

“Umm, Printheth Thelethtia?” Twist raised her hoof. “Can I athk you thomething?”

“Why certainly, my little filly.” The Princess approached. “Go ahead?”

“You thaid that you've read the Midnight Cathtle thaga…” Twist began, to which the Princess nodded. “Who ith betht—“

“Megan.” Celestia didn't even wait for the end of the question. “She might not be the center of attention, but she's always helping behind the scenes.”

“Princess!” Twilight gasped. “I…”

“Yes, Twilight?” Celestia arched a brow. “You'd prefer I'd have said Chiron?”

Twilight’s cheeks turned red. Her feathers fluffed up for no apparent reason as she tried to articulate an answer, much to everyone’s amusement. Poor Twi, Lyra thought. Celestia’s reference was completely lost on her, but she could never mistake her former classmate’s reaction.

I felt a similar way once.

It was wrong. Lyra’s mind told her it was wrong, but at the same time she couldn't fight it. Rather she felt she didn't want to. When the Wonderbolts had arrived in Canterlot, they had amazed everypony with their aerial skill. Of course, aerial maneuvers wasn't what the majority of the mares her age were looking at. The focus was on the fliers themselves: the stallions sighed, keeping their eyes glued on the squadron ponies, while the mares exchanged comments regarding the few stallions in the wing. Yet while all of Lyra’s friends were commenting on the stallion in question, she felt that her glance was constantly moving towards the rest of the Wonderbolts. And each time that happened, she felt…lighter.

“Lyra?” Amethyst poked her. “Are you even listening?”

“What?” Lyra’s ears perked up. “I guess he's okay.”

“What are you talking about?” Amethyst squinted. “I asked if you were doing anything after class.”

“Oh.” Lyra glanced one more time at the Wonderbolts captain, then shook her head. “No, nothing planned.” She liked spending time with Amethyst. Actually, she liked spending time with most of her friends, but for some reason she found she preferred to be alone with them. She was almost eager for it.

I hope she wants to go to the park. Or study. I like studying with Ammy. Lyra flicked her left ear. Of all her friends, she enjoyed being with Amethyst a lot. She could spend hours listening to her friend complain. She'd forget the words and just focus on the voice…on that sweet melodic voice. Moondancer and Twilight were also fun to be with even if they were quiet. Lyra had spent impossible amounts of time in the library with each. She never managed to learn anything, but that probably was because of the weather. After all, it was proven that summer decreased learning capability, and with all the Wonderbolts shows, rain had been pushed back by a few weeks.

“You're impossible,” Amethyst sighed. “Let’s go.”

Lyra nodded and followed. They went through the crowd, then past the school, and headed straight for the Canterlot gardens. The crowds on the streets were almost unbearable. A lot of ponies from nearby towns had gathered just for the Wonderbolt display. Lyra couldn't blame them, but she also couldn't wait for them to go back home. She was fine with visitors, but not in such numbers. I wonder what Amethyst had in mind. Without a doubt she had told Lyra, but the mint unicorn’s mind would often wander off, ignoring the information.

They went past the field of statues, through the hedge maze, and stopped at a bench on the more secluded part of the gardens. Lyra felt her heart race. There was no reason for that, but all of a sudden she felt incredibly anxious.

“I’m breaking up with Star,” Amethyst said. Her voice was calm, but Lyra felt a sudden chill in her chest. “It's just not working out and…and he’s been seeing somepony else for the last four months.”

“Ammy…” Lura moved closer, giving her friend a tight hug. Why am I not sad? she thought. Her best friend had gone through something devastating and all she could think about is that she wouldn't see that jerk again. “I…”

“Please don't start.” Amethyst pulled away. “I've been going through this a hundred times. If I had any brains I would have done this ages ago, but… even after everything he did, I thought I meant something. But it seems it was only talk. Of course I should have known, what idiot would be serious about a pony like me?”

“I'm so sorry… if there's anything I could do…” Lyra remained still. It was too soon for another hug, even if she wanted to. Why do I want one, though?

“I know, I know. I'll get over it. The worst is lapsed anyway, been crying ever since I found out. It's just that now I've decided not to care anymore.” Amethyst levitated a flower from the vicinity towards her and bit off one of the blossoms. “This will teach me to trust anypony again.” She took another bite. “I really don't want to go through the same with you.”

“Of course.” Lyra nodded several times. “Anything you want to talk about I'm here for—“

“You're a mare lover,” Amethyst cut her short.

Huh? Lyra was so shocked she couldn't speak. The words felt like an icy cloud splashing over her, rendering her unable to speak, think, or even move. Heartbreak. Yes, it must be heartbreak. Ammy is going through a tough period right now and it's normal that she'd talk nonsense. a burning sensation appeared in her chest, slowly moving to her stomach, then her limbs, face and horn. Lyra opened her mouth to say something, but no words came, stuck halfway between her mind and her throat.

“And I still can't believe I trusted that jerk!” Amethyst stomped on the bench with her rear hoof. “Never trust love, you hear? It only causes pain and there's no real point in it!”

“I…I…” Lyra stuttered. “I'm not a m-mare l-lover…”

“Yeah, sure.” Amethyst looked away. “You're my friend and I want to keep things that way, okay?”

“Ammy, I'm really not-“ Lyra shuffled away from Amethyst “-what you think I am. I'm—“

“Lyra, do you have any idea how many colts have tried to ask you out lately?” Amethyst took another bite of the flower.

“Three or four?” Lyra ventured in guess. In truth she had no memory of anypony asking her out at all. Things had been just as “normal” in class as they had always been.

“More like thirty or forty. Even my ex tried to ask you out a few times. At first I thought you were not reacting because of me.”

“Huh?” The burning sensation had spread through her entire body now and her heart dealt like a gong ringing in her chest. No, no, no! That can't be! I'm not some… I can't be!

“I don't care. You've always been my friend, Lyra, so it doesn't matter.” Amethyst tossed the remains of the flower away. “If it wasn't because of that jerk I'd have had this talk with you months ago. Seeing the way you were looking at the Wonderbolts, I think it can't wait.”

“I was not looking at them!” The buried instinct for self-preservation kicked in. “I was just thinking about—“

“I really don't have time for this.” Amethyst glared. “You can trust me, okay? I told you my darkest shame, didn't I? Everypony else thinks we've lost interest in one another. I'm telling you he ripped my heart out and threw me away, so be a mare and admit this, will you?”

“Ammy, I…” Lyra swallowed, she could feel her fur wet with sweat. “I'm not lying, I'm really not into mares!”

“You don't know?” Amethyst’s ears perked up in surprise. “You really, really never noticed? Lyra, all this time I thought you weren't interested in romances because the love bug hadn't caught you yet. Instead… this is so bad.” She covered a hoof on her face.

“Heh, heh, heh, good joke, Ammy,” Lyra let out a tense laugh. “You had me going for a moment. Mare lover. Heh heh heh.” Her heart was beating like a train engine. “Anyway, let's get back, okay? I have some studying to do and I've been putting it off for a while…”

“Yeah, okay, sure.” Amethyst shrugged. “It's not like I have a heart left to break. Yeah, let's get back to normality and pretend nothing happened.”

“You're such an idiot sometimes!” Lyra trotted off, her ears turned back to keep track of Amethyst behind her.

Stars! her mind screamed. What happens now?

“Wouldn't like to be in her hooves,” BonBon whispered. “Want to go out for a bit?”

“I can't right now.” Lyra rubbed her head in BonBon. “I just got a fifteen minute countdown from Pinkie Pie. If I'm not here by then I might create an inter-dimensional disaster.”

“Bah!” BonBon waved a hoof. “Been there done that. Some measly inter-dimensional disaster can't keep me from the mare I love.”

What am I going to do with you? Lyra giggled. There was no telling whether she was joking or being serious. Very much like Pinkie Pie. Half an hour, Lyra thought. After that she could spend some time with her marefriend, then go to sleep.

The atmosphere had somewhat returned to its causal state. The unexpected presence of Princess Celestia kept things civil—Amethyst had stopped slobbering Jade for one thing—but the shipping arguments had slowly taken center stage. Fluttershy had also taken the spotlight, despite her reluctance. The de facto announcement she and Goldenboy were a couple was rather significant, especially to those unfamiliar with her online persona. The perfect pair. Lyra smiled. Brush deserved to find some happiness. Her attention was quickly diverted back to her hoofheld. Three new messages had appeared, each more alarming than the last.

10 minutes away, will start in 5! DaBoss bringing auxiliary cannon. Minuette says hi! Will save you splashy bits of the cake, so shhh!

PPI

Typical Pinkie. Lyra sighed. At least this wasn’t her house. Raven and Blueblood had arranged for the location so they would have to deal with the cleaning up.

“What’s the matter?” BonBon moves closer. “Anything home related?”

“What?” Lyra’s ears perked up. “No! Thank the stars. Just bracing myself for Pinkie’s appearance. She’s gathered her full party squad on this one so I don’t know what to expect.”

“I can always lend a hoof...”

“No, I’ll take care of it.” Lyra rushed her mane against BonBon’s. “I just need to get Soarin and—“

“Ladies and gentlehumans!” A high pitched voice filled the room. Lyra groaned. So much for five minutes. “Prepare to be amazed! For tonight is not a normal night!” An unnerving sound of squeaking came from the ceiling. “Tonight is the time when dreams and reality mix and humans walk Equestria!”

Before the chatter could die down, a wave of balloons appeared, crashing onto the Nightlings, but that was merely the beginning. Once the balloons had settled on the floor, Lyra, along with everypony else, gaped at the eight enormous cakes that had miraculously appeared throughout the room. Each cake was six feet high, also–far more significance—each cake had the semblance of a Midnight Castle character.

What in Tartarus?! Lyra blinked, staring in the berry eyes of an ice cream Danny a few feet away from her.

“Well?” Pinkie Pie inexplicably managed to pull both Lyra and Soarin up to her. “Isn’t it great? Huh? Isn’t it?” Her grip tightened in typical Pinkie fashion, causing Lyra to gasp for air. “I wasn’t sure about the coat color, so I picked a different ice cream taste for each one! Now everypony can enjoy slices of their favorite humie and-“ she giggled “-experiment with shipping combinations at the same time!”

“That’s err, great, Pinkie.” Lyra succeeded in pushing herself free. So that was what Pinkie meant when she said she’d save some squishy cake for her. The thought of slicing up humans didn’t seem at all appetizing. A look at the other’s faces clearly showed they had the same doubts. Most likely the cakes would remain untouched until morning, when they would have melted enough for all to get the image out of their mind.

“And wait until it’s time for the confetti!” Pinkie Pie clopped her hooves eagerly.

“You mean there’s more?” Soarin gasped.

Of course there would be. Lyra instinctively glanced in Princess Celestia’s direction. Twilight was hyperventilating, Blueblood had turned pink with rage, but the Princess was actually quite amused by the entire development, even to the point that she scooped a spoon of ice cream from Blazen’s forehead and took a bite.

“Of course there’s more, silly!” Pinkie laughed. “This is the first site event and I want it to be spectastic!”

“That’s great, Pinkie!” Lyra quickly stepped away. “Why don’t you tell Soarin all about it?” Soarin started at her, confusion and terror all over his face. Sorry. Lyra offered a guilt-filled smile. “He just loves to know everything about parties.” I’m going to Tartarus for this. “I’ll just skip out to find Dinky and be right back.” Lyra trotted away. A deep gasp sounded behind her, followed by a fountain of high-pitched explanations.

Take one for the team, CEO. Lyra headed for the terrace. On her way she made a sign to BonBon to have a bit more patience. BonBon nodded calmly, letting Lyra know they’d have plenty of time later.

There was a pleasant breeze outside. The weather team had remained true to their word, keeping the immediate sky over Canterlot clear. Of course, it helped that the pony asking them was a prince. Groups of clouds were gathered in clusters towards the horizon, ready to be moved over the city at a moment’s notice. Sometime tomorrow a severe storm shower would take place to compensate for the delay. A lone pony silhouette stood at the edge of the terrace. Upon seeing it Lyra stopped. She knew that Dinky needed some time alone, yet she also knew that letting her mope too much would be anything but healthy. Maybe I’ll give her a few more minutes. Lyra paused.

“Err, Dinky?” Best I let her come on her own. “Princess Celestia is here... And Pinkie made some human cakes. Right now it’s difficult to tell which will survive the other.” That was awful. “So, come join us? You’re missed, you know.”

There was no answer. Lyra took one step further, but stopped. Right now the best she could do was offer. It was up to Dinky to accept being helped.

“I’ll be waiting for you,” she added and went back in. At least I know she’s coping well en—

“Lyra!” Amethyst shouted, almost crashing into her. “Who’s in charge of hotel rooms?”

“Huh?” Lyra blinked.

“You know the organization thing.” Amethyst went on unfazed. “I thought it was Luna, I mean site Luna, but she told me to ask you about it.”

“Err, Soarin did all that.” Lyra said, her mind trying to piece together what was going on. “I think he’s right...” She looked about, but the Wonderbolt was gone, as was Pinkie. Buck!

The only reason Pinkie would take somepony away from a party was to explain in great detail how she had put said party together. Right now Soarin was roped into helping with the next stage of the event, while listening about the differences between special and sparkly streamers. Lyra knew only too well how that would go, she had offered help on several occasions and after most of them had to resort to headache spells.

“I’m sure he’ll be back soon. What’s wrong? If it’s something urgent, I can—“

“Nah.” Amethyst waved a hoof, looking away. “You have your hooves full already. I’ll find him and sort this out. Great event by the way.” She moved closer. “Why didn’t you tell me you had invited Princess Celestia!” Amethyst whispered.

“It’s not like anypony bothered to tell me!” Lyra arched a brow. “I learned about it the same time you did.”

“Yeah, right!” Amethyst snorted.

“Hey, girls,” a grey pegasus said, passing by them on her way from the terrace. “Thanks for the invite.”

“Sure thing,” Lyra said. She was about to add something more, when she suddenly took notice who that was. “Boss?” she said in near disbelief.

“Derpy?” Amethyst gasped beside her, just as surprised. “What are- Hold on! She’s your boss?!” She stared at Lyra.

“I work at the mail office, Amy.” Lyra sighed, “What did you expect?”

“Holy hay. And just when I thought things couldn’t get stranger.” Amethyst shook her head. “Derps, what are you doing here? You never said you were into colt fiction. This is so weird.”

“Oh, I’m not.” Derpy smiled. “Pinkie asked me to help out with the party. I had to get the cakes on the terrace so that Minuette could teleport them inside. Pity there aren’t muffins, though.”

Damnit! I’m not even sure I invited her. And I should have. Lyra’s ears drooped down. Derpy had always been nice to her, even before agreeing to take her part-time. They didn’t know each other too well, neither of them being from Ponyville, but they had talked on many occasions. If it wasn’t for you Ponyville would never have been my home.

Another day, another rejection. Lyra looked at the chocolate shake on her table and sighed. The ponies at Sugarcube Corner had been kind to let her add a bowl of cherries to her offer, but that didn’t improve her mood, not really.

Finally free from home and with the mare I love and I still manage to mess up. Lyra took a sip of her shake. When she used to come to Ponyville to visit it had been so much fun. Living here, on the other hoof, was an entirely different matter. The thousands of little details had started piling up until reality had come crashing down on her as strong as a cart of bricks. The truth was that Lyra just wasn’t used to like in a small provincial town. In Canterlot she was considered a genius two times over, but here none of her skills had any relevance. In a town of Earth ponies magic wasn’t seen as overly useful, and as for music those who had the will and means to afford her scoffed at her lack of experience. Being a school teacher was an option, but that was to be decided after the end of the next school year.

“Hey,” a cheerful voice said. Lyra looked up. Derpy was flapping above her, holding a bag of muffins. “Want to share?”

“Sure.” Lyra levitated the shake closer to her side of the table. At least the ponies here are always nice.

Derpy smiled, then without warning flopped onto the seat across with such force that, for a moment it seemed she would topple over. Lyra’s immediate reaction was to jump up, ears perked, horn at the ready to cast a levitate spell. Somehow, however, there was no need. Despite the apparently clumsy landing, the pegasus never for a moment lost balance. She calmly opened her paper bag and offered a muffin.

“Long day?” Derpy asked before biting into another muffin.

“One would need to have a job to say that.” Lyra forced a smile, levitating the muffin aimlessly about. “Been trying to get one for a while now.”

“Uh huh.” Derpy nodded, finishing her bite. “You can talk to me as well.” Lyra looked at her, confused. “I work at the post office. Well, that’s not my only job, I am also part of the local weather team, babysitter, and every now and then I help out with party arrangements. Pretty standard stuff.”

“Oh, right.” I don’t even remember who was at the post office.

“So, what are you good at?”

“Huh?” The question made Lyra break out of her cycle of moping.

“You must be good at something.” Derpy smiled. “What is it?”

“Oh, magic and music,” Lyra glanced at her cutie mark. “Neither of which are in terrible demand here.”

“Hmm.”

“Yeah, I know. Back in Canterlot both were considered highly prestigious. Here ponies are looking for someone who can actually do work.”

“Maybe. I still haven’t been able to find anything, though. There’s no longer a library, and even if there was,I doubt the town would hire an inexperienced Canterlotean.”

So much for fortune favoring the bold. It had all seemed so much easier once she had made the decision to move from Canterlot. She was away from her parents, closer to BonBon again, everything was supposed to be great. Before taking this step it had never crossed her mind that she might not find a job. Back in the capital jobs weren’t as big an issue. There were scores of low paying opportunities available. If it wasn’t one thing there’d be something else. Here, money was far more scarce and experience was a must. She couldn’t even manage a temp job as a waitress.

“It’s not that difficult. Just look at me! I have such terrible eyesight that you wouldn’t believe and I still managed to get a job or five,” she giggled.

“I guess you have a more suitable cutie mark.” Lyra sighed.

Instead of an answer the pegasus stood up and showed Lyra her flank. There was a series of bubbles visible there.

“Cloud swimming.” Derpy explained. “If there’s a cloud swimming championship I could get gold, silver, and bronze. Since there isn’t I had to diversify.” She took another muffin from her bag and slowly ate it, enjoying every bite. “You know I was a bit like you once. I had the best job in the world, then something happened and I lost it.”

Lyra’s ears perked up.

“Ponyville isn’t like other places,” Derpy continued. “It makes everypony feel at home. You just need to forget everything you thought you knew, everything you expected life would bring, and find something simple to replace it with.”

Something to replace it with. The thought lingered in Lyra’s mind for a while. It sounded so incredibly simple and deep at the same time. Her coming here marked the end of her old life, in which case why cling to it? She’d still continue with her studies until she graduated, but she didn’t have to focus on things she knew. Now was a time as any to be open to new things.

“How do you feel about talking to ponies?” Derpy asked. “You up to the challenge?”

“You know what?” Lyra took another sip from her shake. “I say I am.”

“In that case, you start tomorrow! Welcome to the postal service!”

Welcome to the postal service! Not a job Lyra would have imagined herself doing, but it sounded alright and had given her a sense of belonging. The money wasn’t much, but enough to provide some self-esteem. Besides, both of them knew it would be a temporary thing.

“Did you get to see Dinky?” Amethyst asked. “She’s grown up to become a very moody teenager. Very different from the time you used to babysit. Now she’s the one trying to get rid of me, if you’d believe it.”

“Ammy...”

“Hey, I’m only saying it ‘cause it’s true!” Amethyst scrunched. “I bet when she sees you she’ll say—“

“Muffin?” a voice interrupted.

Lyra briskly turned around. Standing a few steps away were Blueblood and Spitfire, side by side, the pegasus’ wing on the prince’s back. Both of them looked at Derpy. For a moment her smile faded. An aura of tension formed, forcing both Lyra and Amethyst to take a step back.

“Hi, Bluey,” Derpy replied casually. “Looking good. Seems you’ve lost some weight. The new look suits you.”

“Yes, I picked up jogging.” Blueblood brushed a hoof through his mane. “That and better food. It makes the world of difference. You look well too. Still as athletic as ever. I heard you’re doing weather control now. Things okay, I hope?”

“Fine, fine.” Derpy nodded. “Just local Ponyville weather. It’s close to the Everfree so things are interesting. Hi, Cap.” She curtly glanced at Spitfire.

“Wildcard,” the Wonderbolt replied.

What the hay is going on? Lyra kept glancing between Derpy and Blueblood. She could tell that there was a history there. The tension between them seemed to grow. Looking around, Lyra found that she wasn’t the only one interested. Others had gathered as well, keeping a safe distance away, waiting impatiently for things to unfold.

“I see you haven’t told them,” Derpy sighed.

“It’s just never came up,” Blueblood said, almost apologetically. “I didn’t know you were into Midnight Castle. If you had told me I would have invited you myself.”

“It’s fine.” Part of Derpy’s smile returned. “Well, now that I delivered the cakes, I think I should go. You have fun.” She started to turn around, when a bolt of magic gripped her leg.

“Stay,” Blueblood said in a soft tone, maintaining his spell. “I would like it if you stayed. Everypony,” the Prince raised his voice addressing the gathered crowd. “Nightlings, I’d like to present my ex. Derpy Doo.”

Gasps and whispers filled the room. Things couldn’t have been more dramatic, if Danny had appeared through a portal and announced that had secretly been in love with Blazen for years. Lyra had heard hints that Derpy used to be a Wonderbolt, but learning she had been involved with Blueblood came as a shock. To boot, it was obvious that Spitfire didn’t appreciate Derpy being so close to her boyfriend. Please don’t start a fight. Her ears flattened on her scalp. That’s the very last thing she needed. Desperate for help she looked about for BonBon. If there was anypony who could diffuse the situation that was her.

“Kaboom!” A high-pitched yell drilled everyone’s ears as confetti and streamers fell from the air, covering them all. “Let’s get this party started!”

7. The Day After

If there is ever another meet-up, I’m officially banning confetti!

Lyra paused to get some rest. Last night had been one crazy party, apparently. Lyra had only lasted for half an hour before retiring with BonBon, just as things were getting crazy. Up until then there were no toppled tables, the human cakes were mostly untouched, and the balloons were in their rightful places. Now, when Lyra had arrived, half the tables were wrong side up, half the dishes were scattered everywhere, not to mention the floor had been covered in a sea of balloons and confetti. It had taken her half an hour and nearly all her magic to reduce the mess to a more manageable quantity.

At least I’ll have everything cleaned up by noon. Lyra sighed. The event over, the reality of everyday life had started leaking in. Small things, trivial things that reminded her that the meet-up magic had started to fade. BonBon had already left when she woke up, leaving a note that her work needed her, along with what could pass as a kiss impression on the bottom of the note. At least we’ll have tonight to ourselves. Until then I better clean up this place.

“Morning, Lyra.” Amethyst entered with a yawn. “Didn’t expect to see you this early.”

“It’s an hour to noon,” Lyra said, levitating the confetti off another patch of floor. “Is your sis okay? She was quite down last night.”

“Haven’t seen her yet, but I’m sure she’s fine. The foals were playing human piñata when I went to bed.”

“Oh, Stars!” Lyra winced. Apparently, Pinkie had worse ideas than human cake. “What in Equestria was Pinkie thinking?! Who in her right mind would—“ She stopped. Only now, for the first time she saw the state her friend was in. Amethyst’s mane was such a mess that it would make a whole block of manestylists faint. And that wasn’t the weirdest thing. “Ammy, what did you do?” Lyra glared at her.

“What?” Amethyst shrugged. “I’m not even awake and you’re already accusing me of—“

“Ammy, you’re floating!” Lyra cut her short. “One hoof above the ground!”

There was a long silence. The two looked at each other, until Amethyst slowly lowered herself onto the floor. Even so, the giant grin didn’t leave her face. A purple tint flushed over her cheeks.

“Ammy!” Lyra broke the silence. “He’s still in college! What were you thinking?”

“It’s not like I planned this!” Amethyst said, gathering some confetti from the floor in front of her. “And trust me, he was more than willing. You won’t believe how different he is in real life.”

Having in mind you thought Jade was a mare, I won’t argue with that. Lyra snorted. As much as she tried to be indignant, she was happy for her friend. So much time had passed, she didn’t imagine Amethyst would ever find somepony. The whole idea Fluttershy had come up with was more on the comical side, yet it had somehow worked. An unadulterated miracle. Good luck, Ammy. I just hope your sister is as fortunate.

Both unicorns focused on cleaning. There were tables to be rearranged, shelves adjusted, plates gathered, confetti found. Every now and again, Amethyst would start a sentence, only to stop midway and move to another part of the room. After five minutes Lyra could take it no more.

“Fine,” Lyra relented. “You can boast about it. If it’s only to keep you from glowing again.”

“He was incredible!” Amethyst rushed to her. “And, trust me I know how cliche that is, but he really, really is. It’s like he’s on a whole different level. All it took was a few minutes talking to each other and we clicked.” She clopped her forehooves together. “Princess. He called me Princess.” Amethyst giggled. “Like a shy collegecolt, he came to me to the train station and started talking about his feelings before I could interrupt. Well, I might have chosen not to.”

I bet. Lyra gave her friend a disapproving glare.

“You can’t blame me, though. I did tell him I wasn’t Twilight... after we chatted for a bit. Remember how they describe stallions in romance novels?” Amethyst asked, to which Lyra nodded. “That’s what he’s like. And apparently I can be quite the sensitive mare when not shouting on the site. So we’re just perfect together.”

“I saw you do more than just talk last night, Ammy...”

“It’s like he’s a crystal doll. Delicate as a pegasus and sparkly as a crystal pony. You know, I’m so glad you made the site!”

The statement didn’t make sense, but Lyra nodded nonetheless. A while back she felt exactly the same way.

Did she change her mind? Lyra shivered Should I change my mind? She paced to and fro in the room. Right now she couldn’t tell if she was moving too fast or too slow. This was such a giant step she was taking, that she felt completely unprepared for it.

Calm. I must remain calm, Lyra told herself. Everything was fine. They had known each other with Vinyl for a while. Lyra had shared her deepest, darkest secret and Vinyl hadn’t seen in the least bothered. What was more she had even taken it as invitation to flirt. Now, however, things would go beyond flirting. They had rented their very own cottage at the edge of Canterlot for a week. Lyra felt so embarrassed she had nearly changed her mind twice.

The old-fashioned clock in the cabin showed thirty-seven past two. Vinyl was more than half an hour late. Usually, that wouldn’t be an issue. Wild as she was, the blue-maned unicorn had never been on time in her life. Today, though, questions floated in Lyra’s fearful mind. What if flirting and a few kisses were all that Vinyl wanted? What if she didn’t want to get tied down in a relationship? What if—

A bubble of white light popped in the corner of the room. Any words Lyra had were kicked out of her like an apple tree in harvest season, at the sight of what had just appeared. The mare expected—or rather hoped—that Vinyl would show up, but never dreamt she would witness such a transformation. Vinyl’s coat was so white it sparkled in the sunlight. Her mane, usually wild and unwieldy, was flawlessly styled in dozens of small braids that went to her back. Even the ever present glasses were gone, revealing the most magnificent of purple eyes. Lyra could feel her pulse rush as her heart thumped in her throat.

“Vinyl...” Lyra gasped. “You can teleport?”

Idiot! Lyra’s face turned red with shame. There were hundreds of ways for her to respond such a sight and she had made a comment about magic?

“Sorta.” Vinyl winked. “Rich family, remember? Plus I know somepony who owes me a few favors, so he did it for me.” She trotted to Lyra and, without warning, pecked her on her cheek. “Sorry about being late. I know what a big deal this so for you, so I thought I’d get changed a bit.”

“Well... I... you...” Words had trouble forming. Lyra wanted to say how much this meant to her, how special Vinyl made her feel. Instead, she could only stand there, trying desperately to form a sentence. As she tried to calm down, she noticed Vinyl shiver. It wasn’t much, just a slight movement of the rear leg, but it seemed like a yell.

You’re nervous, Lyra thought. You’re as nervous as I am and you still came?

“It’s okay,” Lyra whispered, wrapping her forelegs around Vinyl in a tight hug. “You’re here.”

Vinyl didn’t say anything, she didn’t have to. Lyra could feel the warm sensation enveloping her, lifting her of the floor. A feeling indescribable by words, warmer than the sun, fluffier than clouds, only surpassed by the emotion she went upon noticing it wasn’t one force, but two keeping her in the air. It wasn’t only her, floating, Vinyl was as well.

“W-what do you want me to do now?” Vinyl asked, voice shivering, her cockiness completely gone.

“Just hold me,” Lyra whispered, tightening her hug. “Just hold me. The next would come later.”

The rest would come later. Lyra smiled. And it had. Their first night had been so intense, Lyra had remained floating for almost an hour after. Amethyst had gone through a similar experience by the sound of it. No matter what they tried to talk about, the conversation inadvertently returned to Jade. And once more, the only thing Lyra could think of was guess Jade must remove the Evervirgin part of his nick.

“Wow, you certainly are early!” Fleetfoot flew in. She was followed by all the Nightling Wonderbolts. One by one then landed in a clean spot of the room, looking critically around. “Captain ordered us to help clean up before practice today,” Fleetfoot added.

“And, of course, she went off with Blue!” Soarin grumbled. “She could at least pretend she was of to do some work. Like that she needed to check the weather preparations, defrost a cloud, or something.” He snorted. “And what are you smiling at?” She glared at Amethyst. “Seriously, you need to grow up, Max! Stars, sometimes I honestly think your sister is the mature one.”

If only you knew. Lyra shook her head with a smile.

“Oh, and in case there’s any doubt, I received a message that Pinkie Pie is off to organize another party and wouldn’t be here to help with the cleaning.” Soarin picked a paper cap from the floor with his hoof. “She has graciously allowed her ‘assistance’ to help, though.”

Lyra laughed. “You’re just being bitter because she kept telling you about party stuff all night.”

“Well, if one unnamed organizer hadn’t sacrificed me to the party demon, maybe I wouldn’t be as bitter.” Soarin glared at her. “Besides what do you know? You went to bed early. The things I’ve seen afterwards... even Danny would have had trouble surviving that.”

“Ignore him.” Fleetfoot flapped her wings, thrusting a wave of confetti toward the edges of the room. “It was just a few remarks between captain and Derpy. If you listen to him, you’d think they had started fighting in the room, which would have made far less a mess, if you ask me. Still, it was awkward having them at the same event, even after all this time. Good thing that Derpy has calmed down since.”

“Yeah.” Lyra thought of her breakup with Vinyl. “Good thing.”

The cleaning continued in full force. Everypony focused on the task of getting the room back to its former state. Every ten minutes a new pony would appear, and stop work for half that long. First was Twilight, who had apparently spent most of the night working on shipping theories to argue her case. Next arrived Fluttershy and Goldenboy, fortunately out of humieware, along with Moondancer and Sunburst. The two couples had spend their breakfast at Gustave Le Grand’s pastry shop, and had brought a few boxes of fresh eclairs to share with everypony.

The foal menagerie arrived at the same time, loudly arguing about Midnight Castle inconsistencies and the like. The only filly silent was Dinky, who quietly went to a distant corner and started cleaning. Lyra’s heart sank. There had been no miracles for the young unicorn, it seemed. Once the event was officially over, and they had returned to Ponyville, Lyra was going to have a long talk with Dinky about life. Diamond Tiara, on the other hand, seemed far happier, constantly keeping suspiciously close to Scootaloo.

Jade appeared slightly later, keeping a deliberate distance between himself and Amethyst. Not that the mare mattered. She was so engaged right now that breathing the same air as him was enough to return the smile on her face. A few times she’d “accidentally” wander nearby, just to engage in small talk, before moving close to Lyra once more.

Minuette And Derpy were the last to arrive. Exhausted from their involvement in the party events the previous night, they wobbled about like zombieponies, doing their best to remain upright. On occasion somepony would turn then in a new direction, and let them roam in a clean part of the room.

It was obvious to everypony that once the room was fully cleaned, the event would come to an end. There would be a few photos, lots of hugs, plenty of goodbyes, then everyone would go back from they came from. Lyra’s ears flattened. She didn’t want the magic to end. Despite the difficulties and the few moments of drama, this had been the best experience she’d ever had. She didn’t want the magic to end. If only this could continue for another week, or even one more day. There were so many things they could talk about, so much fun they could have, instead of returning to their painful reality.

Lyra sighed. The entire floor was clean. The tables were grouped near the entrance, ready to be taken away. Hours after they had started, the annoying confetti fragments had been gathered and swept away. The only thing that remained was to take down the decorations from the walls and ceiling and—

“Excuse me,” a male voice said in a Trottingham accent. “Do you happen to be Lyra Heartstrings?”

Lyra looked up. A white-maned unicorn stallion was standing at the entrance, looking at her expectantly. Beside him was a colt of fifteen, his coat and mane of nearly identical colors. Both remained on the threshold, almost as if not daring to continue. What mess up did we do now? Lyra bit her lip. She glanced around. Most of the others had gathered at one spot and were sharing inside jokes from last night. A few—such as Amethyst and Twilight—were finishing with the cleaning, focusing on the minuscule things that nopony else would bother with. Here goes nothing.

“Yes, that’s me.” Lyra flashed her most polite smile and trotted towards the stallion. “How can I help?”

“Oh, my apologies. I’m Morning Light, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The stallion bowed. “And this is my son, Cloudmane.”

“Hello, Miss.” The colt nodded in turn.

Son? Lyra thought. Mixed families weren’t as common in Canterlot as elsewhere. Personally she didn’t know any unicorn that had an Earth pony child, but looking at the common features between the two she could see the family resemblance.

“The pleasure is entirely mine.” Lyra’s Canterlotean manners kicked in. “I do hope that everything is alright.”

“Oh, it most certainly is, even if we had a bit of an adventure getting here. The weather patterns near Canterlot were a bit of a surprise. I thought rain was scheduled for the city, not around it”

“Oh.” Ooops. And of course Prince Blueblood isn’t here to provide an explanation. “It happens at times.”

“You don’t recognize me, do you?” The stallion smiled.

“Err, Maybe?” Lyra tilted her head slightly. “Was it during a rehearsal at the Conservatory?” Morning Light shook his head. “What about...” her words trailed off, as she tried to think of where she possibly could have met anypony with a Trottingham accent. “Maybe...”

“I’m the TechNightling,” the stallion said.

“Tech?” The word hit Lyra like a brick. There was confusion, followed by an instant of disbelief. For several seconds she stared forward, looking but not seeing, until her mind clicked. “Tech!” Lyra glanced him all over. “Oh my stars!” She gave him a sudden hug, then noticing his discomfort let go and moved back. “I’m so glad you’re here! Didn’t you say you wouldn’t make it?”

“Yes, that was the initial belief.” Morning said with a slight cough. “However, after considering the likelihood of such an event taking place again, I decided to do my best. And there was also the matter of my son moping.”

“Oh? He’s a fan as well?”

“You could say that.” The stallion chuckled. “He’s DannyFan.”

“DannyFan is your son!?” Lyra shouted in disbelief. In an instant all eyes and ears turned to her direction. There was a moment’s pause, after which everypony rushed towards Lyra and the newcomers. “Girls, this is Tech!” she announced loudly. “Our Tech!”

“I’m here too, you know,” Cloudmane tried to say, his voice drowned by the sudden commotion.

“You’re the evil mod?” Diamond Tiara squinted. “I thought you’d be taller.”

“Height isn’t everything, filly.” Amethyst scoffed. “Hey, I’m MixaMax. Why so late? I mean I’ve heard of fashionably late, but you missed the entire thing!”

“Ah.” Morning nodded. “Quite true. To be honest we weren’t sure we’d make it at all. It was a sort of last moment thing.”

“Well, I’m definitely glad you did!” Lyra felt herself being pushed aside by the mass of ponies. “And you were even lucky enough to miss the human cakes.”

“Human... cakes?” Morning blinked.

“It’s better you don’t know.”

The noise level increased. Feeling the last moments of the meet-up approach, everypony spoke over one another, trying to get in a few words with TechNightling and his son. Events of last name were hastily retold, injustices on the site were mentioned. What was to be a gradual parting quickly turned into a whirlpool of activity, like the last gasp of a fire before it went out. Five minutes turned into ten, then half an hour, with no end in sight.

Stars damn it! Lyra sighed. Her train was leaving in twenty minutes and as much as she wanted she couldn’t afford to miss it. If there was a spell for her to stretch time, Lyra would definitely cast it, regardless of the consequences. Unfortunately, there wasn’t. All she could do was wish her friends and fellow Nightlings goodbye and talk to them again on the site. However, before she did that there was one thing in her power to do.

“Everypony!” she shouted, her voice ringing through the room. “Gather round so we can take a group photo!” Tears started gathering in her eyes. “Let’s make this meet-up last forever!”

Let it keep us going on.

4. The Late Arrivals

"I still can't believe that's Jade," Diamond Tiara whispered. "Just look at him!"

Across the room, standing uncomfortably between Amethyst and a massive table of treats, the pony in question was doing his best not to seem uncomfortable. The expression on his face could only be described as a mix of utter confusion, hesitant joy, and a touch of regret. He had barely said a word since they had got him from the train station, only partially loosening up when with the pony he was talking to. Lyra had just managed to get him from Amethyst's clutches for long enough to have a proper, albeit short, conversation—to a large part concerning his behavior on the site. Much to her surprise, Jade had agreed with every last word, apologized profusely, then thanked her for welcoming him to "such a magnificent place."

"I mean he's like a doll." Diamond mused. "A finely crafted porcelain doll. Don't you think?" She turned to Dinky, who was sitting on the floor nearby. "And I was expecting a fight. Your sis is really into him, though."

"I guess." Dinky shrugged.

"Just look at them! She's been clinging to him like an alligator to a plushie."

Lyra chuckled at the image. Amethyst's attitude had improved quite a bit since their arrival, partly due to her getting enough sleep. It was undeniable she focused a lot of her attention on the site's troublemaker, though calling it a fling would be going too far. Fluttershy and Goldenboy, however, were a different matter altogether: costumes aside, Fluttershy hadn't removed her wing from her boyfriend's back for over an hour.

Maybe Midnight Castle really brings ponies together? Lyra thought. Wouldn't that be nice?

"Hello, ladies." Soarin approached, eating a slice of pie. "A bit far from the table, aren't you? Blue went through so much trouble to buy 'good quality food' for us to enjoy. Half of it has unpronounceable names."

"Nah, I'm good." Diamond Tiara smiled, probably her only genuine smile for the day. "I had a bit at my place. Dink, you feel like something?"

"Maybe later." The little unicorn slid her hoof along the floor.

"Wow. Tone the enthusiasm down, will you? You're wrecking the roof," Soarin remarked, finishing the last of his snack. "Why the melancholy? Are things that bad back home?"

"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Diamond Tiara snapped. "Just—" Dinky placed a hoof on Diamond's shoulder, cutting the filly short. There were a few moments of hesitation. Lyra stood up, ready to intervene just in case. Thankfully, it didn't come to that. "Maybe we can not talk about real life, okay?" Diamond turned away. "Please?"

"Uh-huh." Soarin stepped closer. "I can tell you one thing for certain, though." The dramatic silence made the filly look him in the eye. The moment she did the Wonderbolt poked her nose with his hoof. "Boop!"

"What the hay?!" Diamond Tiara pulled back, covering her muzzle. "What are you? Five?!"

"Hey, it works on my sisters," Soarin said, pleased with himself. "They're going through a goth phase right now. Anyway, I must get going. The Ponyville train is finally about to arrive in twenty minutes. Just six hours late. No biggie, eh?"

Six hours delay due to sheep. It would have been hilarious if SweetStuff hadn't become a ball of nerves as a result. Lyra had received close to a hundred messages on the subject ranging from "I'm so sorry" to ranting to text weeping. Thankfully, those had stopped an hour ago once the train had been cleared to leave for the capital.

"You want to come along?" Soarin stretched his feathers. "It's only proper.She also sent me ten PMs asking about you."

"Sure thing." Lyra stood up. "Are we picking up anypony else?"

"Nope." Soarin checked his hoofheld. "Lurkling and company said they'd fly here in a few hours. Pinkie Pie just messaged me 'Wait' three times." A new message appeared in his scrollbox. "Make that four. Everypony else will—"

"Can I tag along?" Diamond Tiara interrupted. "I could use some fresh air."

Lyra and Soarin looked at each other.

"Umm, sure thing." Lyra took the initiative. "We can get some ice cream on the way." The humph from the filly showed she was anything but thrilled by the idea. "Or not."

"Want me to join, Di?" Dinky offered, standing up.

"Sorry, Dink. I just want some me time for a bit," Diamond Tiara said, making Dinky's ears flop down. "You keep an eye on the kindergarten once they—"

"Can you believe this?!" Twilight Sparkle trotted to them with a grumble. "Blazen and Eric? That's the most absurd theory I've ever heard! Twist has a serious issue with logic. When we get back I'm talking to her parents and her teachers. There are things that go beyond bad reasoning!"

Everypony stared at the Princess. It was no secret she had been arguing shipping pairs of the Everhere main cast the last few hours, to the amusement of all. Lyra had long lost interest in the battle of notes, but judging by the ruffled feathers of the alicorn it couldn't have gone too well.

"I'm not one who doesn't like a well founded argument, but—" Twilight stopped, finally reacting to the looks she was getting. "What?"

"Err, Twi, we were actually on our way to pick up SweetStuff from the train station," Lyra began. "And we—"

"Ah, great. I'll come along and tell you about the discussion on the way." Twilight beamed. "It would be much more efficient that way. Trotting helps the mind digest information better."

"That's nice, but—"

"If the train is as expected we'll be there and back just in time for the special guests," Twilight went on, once more oblivious to her surroundings. "If we hurry we can even grab a bite on the way. Not that we need to, but we can sit down calmly and discuss proper shipping practices as grown adults."

"Twi, maybe you can just wait until we get back?" Lyra asked, moving her glance towards Diamond Tiara several times. "It's never good to be a crowd, you know."

"Wha?" Twilight glanced around in confusion. "What do you—" The annoyed expression on Diamond's face spoke louder than words. "Oooh. Right!" The Princess nodded several times. "Take your time, then. This conversation isn't going anywhere."

"Look, I'm not an idiot, okay?" The filly stomped her hoof. "Everypony knows I'm going through shit. You don't have to tiptoe around me." Tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

"RR." Lyra moved closer. "Two days without worries, remember?"

"Well, yeah." The filly rubbed her eyes, her back to the main group. Some had noticed the small exchange. A quick sign from Lyra made them take no action. "Why not?" Diamond Tiara cracked a fake smile. "The shit will be waiting for when I get back home."

Yes. Shit always stays in wait back home...

"Mother..." Lyra bit her lip. She hadn't expected such a turn of events. Her parents had never hid their feelings about being gay. There had been many "conversations" on the topic, none of them good, but at least there was a back and forth. Now that Lyra had announced her decision not to bear children, it was like an invisible wall had formed between her and her parents.

The elder unicorn couple didn't say a word. Both of them looked at Lyra with deep disappointment, maybe even disgust? Lyra's father coughed, then went to the kitchen, probably to get a dip of the brandy he used to hide behind the flour. Lyra's mother remained, staring at the air between her and her daughter. It was as if Lyra had just ceased to exist.

"Mother, don't be like that." Lyra tried once more. "It's not something anypony can control."

"Like a cripple?" her mother asked, her face twitching as she spoke. "If I had known I was raising a cripple I'd have taken the appropriate measures."

"I'm not a cripple!" Why must we always go through this?

"Aren't you? A proper mare would have settled down by now, married a good stallion, found a job. What have you done?"

"Just so you know I have a job!" Lyra wanted to shout, yet she didn't dare to out of fear her yelling would bring her to tears. She was hurting as bad as it was. "I'm also studying for two majors, both in prestigious—"

"What matter is all that if you don't have children?" her mother asked drily. "And the only reason you have a job is because of the school's help. Without it, and us, you'd be nowhere."

"Really?" Lyra snorted. "I leave my roommate, come all the way here to find a job all because of you and this is the thanks I get?"

"I don't remember your father and I getting any thanks for feeding you. And clothing, and washing, and paying for the finest schools in Equestria. Tell me, do you intend to pay any of that back? No?"

Lyra gritted her teeth. She was so close to saying something she'd regret. Why did I even come here? she wondered. Things were complicated before, but now after her announcement, going back home had become outright intolerable.

"Look, I didn't come here to ask for money." Lyra decided to change her approach. "I'm already making enough to get by and Bon Bon is well off."

"So all it takes is a little coin to get you to lift your tail?"

"Mother!"

"Even an earth slut several years older than you?" This was the very first time Lyra had heard her mother swear. The experience hit her like a brick wall. What the hay, Mom?! "Your father and I have been very tolerant until now. We let you go though your confusing phase, we even let you live with that wreck of a unicorn, but this?" She shook her head, lips pursed. "Announcing you're not going to have foals and instead are running off with some earth pony baker? That is just too much."

"You know what?" Lyra's stomach ached as if she had eaten thorns. Her entire body rebelled against she wanted to say, yet her will prevailed. "Coming here was a mistake. This whole thing was a mistake. I must have been so naive to think I could make things right by you. You've clearly made up my mind, which I would have appreciated if you'd shared before I broke up with my 'older earth pony baker' marefriend!" She was breathing heavily. "Now that I know, I'll be leaving Canterlot. Disown me for all I care."

The pain in Lyra's stomach got stronger. There was no turning back. Despite her anger, despite the rage, she wanted to cry. After such words she could no longer have any connection with her parents. The ponies she loved, the ones she relied on, the ones she shared so many happy memories with were gone, never to be seen again.

Silently, Lyra went to the door. Opening it, she stopped, taking one last look at her mother.

"You know what the funny thing was?" Lyra asked, voice trembling. "Bon Bon wanted to have foals as well. She had almost convinced me to go through the magic procedure before you insisted I return here to be close to you. Well, fat chance of any other mare going that far for me now. Not with my record of broken relationships. Goodbye, Mother." She ran out, slamming the door with magic behind her.

"Sweetie Belle!" A high pitched yell filled the station before the train had fully stopped moving. "There's no way you're going outside like that, young lady! It's dark and cold, and I distinctly remember Rainbow Dash warning me of an unexpected shower-storm. Now be responsible and put on your umbrella saddle!"

On the platform, Lyra and Soarin looked at each other, then up at the sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight. Difficult to imagine where the information was coming from, but it was completely made up. That did not prevent from some of the few ponies at the station to check as well.

"I think Crash must have missed the memo," Soarin whispered as the train came to a stop. "We moved the shower to next week because of the meet-up. Blueblood's request."

There was no doubt in Lyra's mind what "request" meant, still she was impressed by the effort involved. Getting a prince to change the weather plan for a silly meet-up was among the things that went in ponies' memoirs.

"Mare, she wasn't kidding that her sister gets annoying." Diamond Tiara pushed between the two. "And I thought she only embarrassed her at school."

"I don't know." Soarin checked his hoofheld. "She seemed quite nice to me... Lurkling and companion are on their way. Guess we'll have a full house. That only leaves Pinkie and her mystery guest."

"Quite nice, eh?" Diamond Tiara smirked. "Sure. Whatever."

Soarin was about to add something, when the first class carriage door swung aside, letting a host float out bags and boxes and arrange in two tidy piles on the platform. Whispers started to circulate. A few porters rushed forward to get the luggage on their carts. And then, Rarity emerged in all her glory. This wasn’t the first time Lyra had witnessed the Element of Generosity’s overly dramatic entrances, but she had considered that taking into account the late arrival and the fact that the station was nearly empty, there wouldn't be as much fanfare. Clearly, she had assumed wrong.

Mane brushed to perfection, wearing an elegant dress—the latest in Equestrian fashion—Rarity descended the train as if she were visiting royalty. A wave of her mane, she scanned the platform, searching for somepony in particular. Her head froze as she focused on Lyra, lips curving into a smile. A second later she waved to Soarin.

"Soarin, darling!" Rarity rushed towards the Wonderbolt. "So lovely to see you. You simply must tell me how you've been! My apologies for bringing Sweetie so late. We had a dreadful experience with sheep blocking the tracks."

"Really? You don't say." Soarin tsked a few times with such conviction that Lyra couldn’t tell if he was joking or being serious. "I'm sure nothing a small banquet wouldn't fix?"

"Oh, you charmer," Rarity giggled. "Alas, I'll have to decline. I've already made arrangements to go over my sales estimates with Sassy. The work never seems to end," she sighed again in her typical fashion, waving a hoof as she did. "At times I think the forces of evil are conspiring against me. I'd like them for once to attack after a major fashion exhibition, but where such luck?"

"Hey, Rares," Lyra interrupted, earning herself a glare. "It's really nice of you to let SweetStuff, I mean Sweetie Belle, attend the meet-up. It means a lot."

"Oh, nonsense, darling." Rarity's expression instantly changed. "Having Sweetie focus on reading and writing is cause enough for me to agree. And let us not forget that enchanting song she was inspired to create. Between you and me I was starting to get worried about her future."

The usual talk. Lyra remembered when her own parents shared such concerns, driving her to subconsciously pick two majors: music and magic. Hopefully Sweetie Belle wouldn't go through the same ordeal. The Conservatory was more time consuming and demanding than all the magic studies combined.

"We've had such arguments, let me tell you," Rarity went on. Lyra heard Diamond Tiara let out a defeated groan. "Her falling grades, her ever-changing hobbies, the playmare stash I found in her wardrobe..." It took great effort for Lyra not to snicker. That must have been an awkward situation. "At the end of the day she's just a filly. Better have fun now before real life kicks in. Wouldn't you agree, Lyra darling?"

"I'm really not the best pony to ask." Lyra's smile didn't falter. "But as a musician, I can say she has everything needed for the conservatory. Maybe we could—"

"Oh, absolutely, darling!" Rarity glanced at the station's clock, no doubt rushing things for her meeting. "But listen me waste time talking about myself. I'm sure you're eager to return to your convention. Sweetie, dear," she said sharply turning around. "You really should get off the train now. Your friends are waiting."

A combination of grumbles and sighs came from the train as a response. Moments later Lyra could see why. Red-faced with shame, Sweetie Belle emerged, making her way onto the platform, hesitating with every step. Her dress, for lack of better word, was closer to a high fashion exhibit piece that one would reserve for the Grand Galloping Gala. Lyra had never seen so many pearls and ribbons in one place. It was as if the filly was wearing a dress made of night sky constellations twirling and floating around each other...and she clearly hated it. To make her embarrassment complete, she also had an umbrella saddle of the same design, despite the obvious lack of rain.

"Cool saddle, SweetStuff," Diamond Tiara chuckled. "I guess it protects you from moonbeam showers, huh?"

Sweetie Belle turned a deeper shade of scarlet.

"I tried to keep it close to your story series, but I'm ashamed to say that I stopped reading after a few pages." Rarity remarked. "Not that it was bad, but there simply aren't enough hours in the day."

"Oh, you definitely caught the essence of it." Diamond wouldn't drop it. "Maybe a bit more sparkles, though?"

"Can we go yet!" Sweetie Belle squeaked.

"Well, look who's in a hurry now!" Rarity frowned. "After I had to practically drag you off the train. There's simply no pleasing some ponies." She humphed. "Come along, Soarin. We can't have her highness be late, can we?"

"Um, of course." The stallion trotted behind her. "Changed your mind about joining?"

"Oh, heavens, no." Rarity stopped, her ears flicking up. "I'll be working through the entire night. Yet I can't just leave Sweetie Belle without inspecting the conditions of her accommodations. Not that I don't trust you, but she is rather sensitive when it comes to that sort of thing. Very sensitive fur, you know."

"Rarity!" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "I do not have sensitive fur!"

"And the ponies that are at this convention," Rarity continued completely ignoring her. "I'm sure they are all fine, with you and Lyra organizing the event, but I just want to briefly take a glance. Just for curiosity's sake, you understand."

Must be nice having a caring older sister, Lyra thought. Being a single child seemed fun growing up, yet now she felt like she could use someone close to her side.

"Well, you have nothing to fear." Soarin flapped his wings. "I have reserved a room at one of the best hotels. Also the owner is a friend of mine, so if you have any—"

"Room? We'll be needing two, darling," Rarity said, with a coy smile.

"Two? Sure." A smudge of panic was painted all over Soarin's face. Getting additional rooms on such short notice wasn't easy. Hotels, especially good ones, had the tendency to get filled out during the weekends. "I just thought you would be sharing a room."

"Oh, my sister and I will. Her friends would need one as well. Can't have them sleep on the floor," Rarity laughed.

"Friends?" Lyra blinked. This doesn't sound good.

To confirm her fears, another filly popped out of the train—a yellow coated filly with red mane and a huge bow. Apple Bloom?! Lyra felt a shiver. She opened her mouth to say something, but was already too late.

"You invited them?" Diamond Tiara shouted, causing half the ponies on the platform to look her way. "What the hay, SweetStuff?!"

"Sorry, sorry." Sweetie Belle cowered, her umbrella tilting dangerously to the side. "I couldn't say no. They are my friends and they promised that—"

"Well, buck me! It's not like I'm going through a crisis because of your friends" Diamond stomped on the ground. "Did you bother thinking about that?! Of course not!" she snorted. "Why would anypony think about Diamond the freak? I knew it was a mistake coming here."

"Hey, don't yell at her!" Apple Bloom trotted to them. "Ain't her fault you always get in trouble! She's been doing nothing but think about you and your feelings!"

"Well she has a weird way of showing it! Or maybe she's just stupid!"

"And you're just mean! I reckon if it weren't for your ma and pa you'd—"

"Girls, stop!" A shout made everypony stopped. Somepony new was standing at the door, the orange pegasus that was the cause of Diamond's outbursts, the same that had broken her heart. "I made her take us," she said firmly. "And even if she didn't I'd have come anyway. We need to talk."

"I've nothing to say to you!" Diamond Tiara turned her head away. Her left forehoof pawed the ground.

"Well, I have!" the orange pegasus said. "Just for a few minutes. Please?"

Diamond Tiara said nothing. Total silence surrounded the platform, occasionally interrupted by the sound of arriving trains and moving luggage carts. The scene was surreal. Lyra had witnessed her share of dramas, but never one so public. Canterloteans preferred to keep such matters behind closed doors. Having it in the open, where everypony could see and judge, was terrifying and captivating at the same time.

"Damn you, Scoots," Diamond whispered through her teeth. She then trotted to her.

We can never say no, can we? Lyra sighed.

"She's in trouble again," Twinkleshine whispered outside the mare's bathroom. "I heard that she got into a fight with a teacher in her previous school. They almost kicked her out last week. Rumor is that she did something really terrible to her previous tutor."

"Oooh?" Minuette leaned forward, trying to peek through the crack in the door. "I wonder why. Let's ask her!"

Despite herself, Lyra giggled. Minuette had always been one to ignore danger, although in this case Lyra had to admit she was curious. Little was known about the new arrival: she had appeared mid year without an exam, wasn't particularly interested in magic, and started getting in trouble with teachers the very next day. The ponies who had tried to become her friends had gotten the cold shoulder, or a hoof in the muzzle.

"Why are we here exactly?" Amethyst asked, eyes almost squinting. "Let her deal with her problems."

"Hey, don't be like that." Minuette shoved her. "You're gotten into plenty of trouble—"

The bathroom door swung open. Everypony froze. A head popped out. Wild electric blue mane, purple glasses, an engraved horn on her forehead—this was the new addition to the S.G.U. that everypony was talking about. Glancing over the small crowd, no trace of a smile, the unicorn tisked.

"You, come in here," she said, looking straight at Lyra.

"Umm, sure?" Lyra said, uncertain. Every instinct told her to say no. Even if none of the rumors were true the transfer student hadn't shown any tendency of being friendly.

"I just need your help with something, 'kay?" The other urged.

Damnit! Lyra bit her lip. She didn't want to go, not really, yet at the same time there was something alluring about the unicorn. With a frame as small and slender as Minuette's and fur almost as brilliant as Princess Celestia's, she would definitely pass as beautiful. Lyra should have been happy she was asked to assist, yet at the same time she felt like walking towards the edge of a cliff—great view until the fall.

"Okay." Lyra did her best to put on a smile and trotted in.

The bathroom walls and ceiling were covered in graffiti. Most were text, with a few badly drawn pictures for color. Lyra didn't approve of the practice in the least, finding it foalish and silly. At the same time she had to admire the penmanship. Why can't I write like that? She stared at a set of lines next to the mirror.

"It's a song," the white unicorn said, the slightest hint of emotion in her voice.

"Huh?"

"These are the lyrics of my new song. I was feeling bummed so I wrote it just now. Now see how crap it is."

"You did all this?" The thought was both impressive and terrifying. To ruin an entire bathroom in a few minutes required considerable skill.

"Yeah. There was nothing else to do during magic class so I thought of this."

"Umm, you didn't take notes?" Don't go there. Don't go there! "This is going to be part of the exam."

"Mare," the white unicorn snorted. "I'm only here to waste a year before I apply for the Conservatory. My magic is worth shit. Only reason I got to enroll was because my family's connected."

"Oh," Lyra looked away, pretending to focus on another set of wall lyrics.

"Hey, don't sweat it. You're one of the cool ones." Lyra felt her heart skip a beat. "You're the coltfiction mare, right?"

"Lyra Heartstrings." And of course she'd know me by my nickname. Her ears drooped down. For some unknown reason she felt rather upset by the fact.

"I'm Vinyl—Princess of Dropouts." A marker materialized in the air, then started jotting more lines on the ceiling.

"Why do you do that?" Lyra asked.

"Write lyrics? Mess up bathrooms?" Vinyl didn't seem particularly concerned, jotting on text as if the room was her personal textbook. "I'll clean it up. I just want to hear somepony sing it."

"I can do that." Lyra nodded. She knew that she'd get in trouble for it. There was no way they could clean the bathroom, and singing would only make it look like she was the instigator. For some reason none of that mattered.

"Great." Vinyl crossed out a few lines of text. "Don't take too long. I got in some trouble with a teacher, so they'll be dragging me to Tia's office soonish."

"No prob." Damn it, Vinyl! Why do you make want to get in trouble for you?! "Just tell me where to start."

"Why, this is a most spectacular venue," Rarity said, trotting over quickly to examine the nearest curtain. "A bit dated, but elegant. And near the palace too. Why, if I had known I might have joined your gathering."

"Why don't you?" Lyra closed the door. "It's a small event and there's plenty of—"

"Twilight?" Rarity's voice rang through the room. For the most part the comment was left unnoticed. Dinky had taken Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom to join the rest of the foals, who were still having a heated discussion about shipping and writing. Meanwhile, the older ponies had gathered around the table, enjoying a more civilized discussion focused on site gossip and real life. Twilight's ears twitched. Alarm covered her face as she turned around, just in time to face Rarity rapidly trotting her way. "Darling, I didn't know you frequented such events."

"Err, hello, Rarity," Twilight began, guilty smile on face. "I—"

"And to offer your old home to host it?" Rarity didn't let her finish. "But then, you always were a patron of literature."

"Right! A patron of literature." The Princess nodded eagerly.

"Well, it's certainly a relief. When Sweetie Belle told me about this, I thought it would be a wild party with colts galore. You know how fillies her age are."

"Rarity, we've been over this," Lyra sighed. "This is just a small fanfiction gathering. Nothing questionable is going on. As I've said you're welcome to stay if—"

"I know, darling, I know." Rarity her hoof on Lyra's shoulder. "And I trust you, but you must admit that some of the attire of the participants is a bit risqué. Why, look at this—" she pointed at the three cosplaying ponies. The moments she did, Rarity's froze. For several seconds she stared, as if trying to convince herself what was seeing was true. Then, finally, she let her hoof down. "Fluttershy?!"

"Umm, hello?" The pegasus smiled meekly in her Molly costume.

"Fluttershy, darling, why didn't you tell me you were here?" Rarity asked, then turned to Lyra. "Why didn't you tell me she would be here?"

"Well, it isn't like we knew you'd be here either," Twilight grumbled.

"Who else is here?" Rarity started looking around. "Pinkie Pie? Rainbow Dash? I know Applejack isn't since she’s working on fixing her the barn again."

"No, it's just us," Twilight said. "Although, Pinkie will be arriving at some point to host her trademark party."

"Oh, right." Rarity chuckled. "Sounds like something she'd do. Wouldn't be an event without her. Still, to see both of you here is quite extraordinary, if I do say so myself. Oh, and Fluttershy, you look absolutely magnificent, my dear. There are a few design choices I don't entirely agree with, but you know us fashion enthusiasts—we could never agree on anything." Rarity let out a high-society laugh. "I made a costume for Sweetie Belle as well, of course, though definitely not as brave."

"Your design are always unique as well, Miss Rarity." A voice said from the group.

Coco Pommel emerged timidly from the group, removing her own custom-made hat, so that Rarity could recognize her. Poor Rarity. Lyra took a step back. Even poorer Twilight and Fluttershy. By early next week the whole of Ponyville would know the news, quite possibly parts of Manehattan and Canterlot as well. Despite her many qualities, Rarity had a tendency to gossip, and learning that her friends were closet Nightlings was undoubtedly gossip material.

Lyra levitated a sandwich from the hors d'oeuvre table, then went to a quieter place in the room. With Sweetie Belle here, along with two unexpected guests, almost everypony was accounted for. The only ones remaining were Lurkling and his wife, who were supposed to arrive shortly, and Pinkie Pike, who was biding her time doing something somewhere with somepony. To be honest, Lyra was surprised how well things had gone. True, she felt exhausted and the train delays had made her feel a little anxious, but all in all things could have gone far worse.

"Lyra?" Dinky joined her. "Have you seen Diamond?"

"Yes, she was right—" Lyra pointed on reflex at the group of foals. As she did she noticed that the filly in question wasn't there. "Oh. She might have gone for some fresh air. Normal after the ‘surprise’ she got at the station."

"Yeah... Sweetie Belle is stupid." Dinky frowned.

"Hey, now. I'm sure she thought she was doing the right thing."

"Well, she's still stupid." The filly stomped on the ground. For a split second Lyra could see anger surface on her face. "I'll see if Di’s on a balcony or something." She started to walk away.

"If she's not, check outside," Lyra called after her. "And if she's not there, call me, okay? I don't want you walking through Canterlot after dark, understood?"

Something akin to an answer was muttered in response. Lyra could only hope it meant a yes. Everything will be fine. Diamond is a smart filly. Having Scootallo come to the meet-up was a bit of a shock, but the filly seemed to have handled it well, not counting her initial reaction. During their walk from the station, the two had even exchanged a few words. Naturally, Lyra knew full well the hurt would continue for months more, at least. She also knew she'd be keeping an eye out just to be sure the two didn't sneak off anywhere alone. The last thing Diamond needed was to have her heart shattered again.

"Can I have everypony's attention, please!" Raven said loudly from the center of the room. As she did, Lyra could feel butterflies flutter about her stomach once more. "Having in mind that there are a number of important shipping discussions going on, I'll try my best to be brief." Laughter filled the room. "As you know, I'm Luna, not to be mistaken with TheRealLuna, and am one of those responsible for organizing this event, along with our lovely CEOWitch. Of course, the whole reason we have an event in the first place is thanks to the incredible work of Lyra and her magnificent team who did something we considered impossible, and that is the creation of not only the first Midnight Castle fansite, but a place where ponies can get together to write, read, and help each other out in anything Nightling related."

"You bet she did!" Amethyst yelled, causing everypony to burst out in laughter.

Trying to embarrass me will get you nowhere, Max. Lyra smirked. She'd expected such a reaction and was not in the least bit bothered. Still, she decided to play the part expected of her, covering her face with a hoof.

"Now, what some of you might not know, is that I'm also the production assistant of the project," Raven went on. "I'm sure a lot of you suspected, but I can now confirm it's true. It's my job to help organize such events, and I hope this tonight will turn into a tradition. Also, I've prepared a special treat for you all!" Silence was restored, broken by whispers of speculation. S.Child’s name was mentioned more than a few times. "The reason why none of you can see the sexy flank of our CEOWitch, is because he's gone to bring a few very special guests of honor. Namely, the magnificent Fleetfoot who served as the character model for Euryala, Spitfire—our chief consultant, who also happens to be captain of the Wonderbolts, and Prince Blueblood, or Bellucio as Lyra likes to call him, who's also been a significant driving force behind the scenes."

You too, Raven? Lyra's fake embarrassment just became real. Laughter and comments flew her direction. Meanwhile, Rarity was whispering questions to Fluttershy in an attempt to keep up with the inside jokes.

"But!" Raven raised her voice. "But, that's not all! A few hours from now we'll be taking a very special guest. I'm not going to say who, but can assure you that everypony will be extremely excited what they have to say. With that, I give the floor to Lyra."

"Wait what?" Lyra blinked. Nopony had warned her that she had to give an opening speech. Desperate, she glanced at Raven, who only looked back with a smug expression amid the sound of stumping hooves. "Err..." Just great. "Well, I can say I didn't expect to be ambushed like this, that's for sure." Her heart was pounding so much she could feel it in her throat. "The only thing I can say is ‘we made it’. We! Without you I'd just be a crazy loon with a dream. It's thanks to you that the site became what it is today. If Tech were here I'd be sure to thank him for fixing my terrible code. However, that's not the only one I want to thank. Code, Max, Brush, RR, thank you for believing in me and pushing me to register the site. Paint, thanks for the lovely art that has brought joy to many. At times too much joy." Stars! I sound like an idiot! "SweetStuff, thanks to the remarkable song that I expect to be taking Equestria by storm. And...honestly, I should thank each and every one of you here. I know I say this a lot on the site, and I mean it, but you've brought me joy when I thought I had none. Now, since I'm dangerously close to putting everypony to sleep, I'll just shut up and let you enjoy the evening listening to ponies that actually matter. The first Midnight Castle meet-up has officially begun!"

The room erupted in stomps and cheers. It happened. Lyra relaxed internally, as ponies rushed to her with hugs and words of support. We really did it. Now all I need is for a real Bellucio to appear.

5. The Grand Event

Finally! Lyra dragged herself to the nearest cushion. A few years ago she would skip sleep for days at a time, especially when parties were concerned. Now, she needed two spells just to keep her eyes open, and the real party hadn't even started yet. Blueblood and the Wonderbolts had just arrived to everypony's joy, and Rarity's displeasure, creating the most unique blend of jock nerdism Lyra had thought possible. Just watching the way the conversation jumped from military maneuvers to human adventures, taking the obligatory shipping detour, without anypony batting an eye was enough to make Lyra cry with pride. Or it would have been if she had an ounce of energy left.

"Somepony had a bit too much to drink." A glass of water levitated up to Lyra. "Or wants to." Twilight winked as she sat beside her friend.

"Wants to," Lyra said, then downed the glass. "Definitely wants to. I spent the last ten minutes reassuring Rarity that no harm will come to Sweetie Belle." She rolled her eyes. "Compared to what I've seen her do in Ponyville the only danger I see is Dinky trying to strangle her." Or at least tear her mane off.

A burst of laughter came from the other side of the room, near the improvised stage. Blueblood was telling another of his "life stories" and doing so quite well judging by the overall reaction. Lyra had to admit that in private he was very different from his public image. The language, the crudeness, even the mannerisms were of a nightclub regular. He'd even engaged in casual conversation with Rarity, despite her constant attempts to stay as far away from him as possible.

"He's certainly the heart of the party." Lyra nodded in the Prince's direction. "Who would have guessed?"

"Well I knew he was into coltfiction," Twilight said proudly. "But I must admit the rest is unexpected. He's definitely more relaxed than at the galas. Between you and me,

I think Rarity still has a thing for him."

"Well you have to admit he plays the role of the pretty stallion quite well." Lyra nodded. "Think you can use your alicorn magic to transform him into Bellucio?" she whispered. "Just for a few minutes. I swear nothing bad will happen. Honest!"

"Lyra." Twilight squinted. "You want me to use transformation magic of such complexity to transform a royal prince into the most fantasized MC character in a room of obsessed Fanfiction mares?"

"Err, we can wait until the kids go to bed?" Lyra suggested, only to receive a wingsmack on the side. "Hypocrite!" she hissed.

"Am not!" Twilight said adamantly, yet Lyra could notice her friend's face turning a deeper shade of purple. There could be no denying she had read more than her fair share of "interesting" Bellucio stories.

Would be fun, though, Lyra mused. It wouldn't be that difficult to hire a changeling to pose as Bellucio during the event. Celebrities did it all the time these days. Damn it! She felt like kicking herself for not thinking of it earlier. That would have been the talk of the evening...and possibly the greatest freakout in Canterlot since Chrysalis' invasion. The newspapers would have had a field day.

"Let's join." Twilight nudged her. "Stars know when we'll have another gathering like this."

"I'm really tired, Twi." Lyra looked at the door. Bon Bon had promised she'd try to be there, but in her line of work every promise was more of a guideline. Dates would get postponed at the last minute, schedules messed up. The only solace Lyra had was that BonBon would be there for her every night. "Maybe just a bit."

"Everything alright? You seem a bit worried about something."

"Oh, it's nothing." The lies we have to say, Lyra thought. That was a part of her she despised. "Still wishing BonBon could have made it."

You never were able to keep a promise, were you Bonnie? Except for one...

The flowers wilted in the plate. Lyra had brought them fresh and taken great care to arrange them in the perfect way so as to please both the eye and the mouth. According to the cooking guide, her Tulip á Rose was supposed to be one of top ten most romantic dishes. The only problem was that it was two hours after dinner.

Sitting at the table, Lyra could only look at her ruined masterpiece and sigh, as she had been doing the entire afternoon. This was the third attempt she'd made to surprise BonBon and, apparently, just as wasted as as all the previous. It was almost as if fate conspired against the effort.

Good thing I didn't light the candles this time. Lyra looked at the clock on the wall. Five minutes to midnight. It was still possible for BonBon to arrive in the next hour or so, though experience had shown it to be unlikely. Most likely she'd appear around dawn, drag herself to the couch and doze off without touching the food.

"Next time's the charm, right?" Lyra forced a laugh. She had the best roommate in Equestria and yet their schedules were in such conflict that they almost never saw each other. BonBon was a stay-late-wake-up-late type of pony, while Lyra had to be up at five to catch the Canterlot train. What time they could carve for themselves was mixed with daily chores: shopping, working, going to Ponyville events. Lyra appreciated that a lot, but she would have liked for them to have some time of their own.

The heart-shaped dish was levitated into the refrigerator. At least there was the consolation that Bon Bon might have it for "breakfast" once she woke up. Lyra put the candles into the cupboard next to the imported oats, gathered the silverware, folded the tablecloth away, then—after a two minute stare out of the window—went to bed.

"Tomorrow I'll ask her directly," she said out loud, as she curled up around the pillow. "Tomorrow."

Lyra closed her eyes for a moment. When she next opened them up again it was already morning. The first rays of the sun were sneaking their way through into the room. Still no sign of BonBon, of course. As much as Lyra fantasized waking up to her roommate snuggling her, that had never happened. At this point they were roommates, nothing more. Or maybe a slight bit more. They were both "fillyfoolers"—one of the main reasons they shared a house—but were far from intimate. The eternally delayed date was Lyra's attempts to get closer. It was no secret that Bon Bon was fetching, and from what Lyra had gleaned through some improper use of magic, her roommate had an inkling of interest in her.

"Bonnie?" Lyra levitated herself out of bed and peeked into the living room.

As per usual, her roommate was there, ears twitching as she snored on the couch. There was no telling exactly what her work involved, but every so often she'd return home exhausted to the point she was unable to reach her bedroom.

Not again. Lyra rolled her eyes. She levitated a blanket and gently floated it over BonBon. Her roommate stirred, an unconscious smile forming on her face.

"Yes, yes, the blanket loves you too," Lyra giggled and went into the kitchen.

Yesterday's dish remained untouched. It would be hours before BonBon even noticed it. Lyra took a pair of oranges from the fridge. She preferred a light breakfast. Plus, right now that was all she could afford. There still were some cookies BonBon had brought from work a few days ago, but those were to be avoided. The amount of sugar was so much that if Lyra would take one nibble she'd have to finish the entire bowl and then crave more.

"I'll be a bit late today," Lyra said. "Magic midterms. Celestia might be there, so I mustn't make a complete idiot of myself."

Gentle snoring came as a response.

"Yes, I know. I focus too much on what others think about me." Lyra went on as she used her magic to slice the oranges. "Not like you. You don't care one bit what ponies think about you."

The sweetness of the fruit mixed perfectly with the bitterness of the peel. Very much like her life, only the older she got the more bitter things became. Lately everything Lyra did seemed to be wrong: her argument with her parents, her breakup with Vinyl, the decision to split her focus between magic and music, even moving to Ponyville hadn't turned out all that well. For some reason every time Lyra tried to add some sweetness back in her life, she got bitter disappointment instead.

"I really should stop organizing these dates," she laughed. "You're ruining me, Bonnie." Another Orange split into slices. "And it's not like you have any more promises to break."

A bird landed outside the kitchen window and started chirping. Lyra glanced at it as she finished her second orange. It was a plump, bluish thing that came every morning, asking for food. Lyra had tried to ignore it a few times, but ultimately she had succumbed to the pressure.

"I know, I know." Lyra opened the cupboard and levitated half a cookie onto the window still. The bird waited for a few moments then started deflating it. "You really need to go on a diet," Lyra chuckled. "And I need a marefriend. One that actually bothers to show up on a date she has promised to—"

Lyra stopped. BonBon was standing in the doorway, mane still messy, looking with her, silently. Lura's heart skipped a beat. For ten strenuous seconds she remained frozen as a statue, trying to come up with a way to save this catastrophe.

"Hey," Bon Bon, said, saving her the trouble, and went to the fridge.

Horseapples! Lyra swallowed.

"Morning." A feeling of awkwardness filled the room. Lyra directed her attention to the bird. She could hear BonBon take out something from the fridge and place it on the table. Moments later she started the tap, pouring herself a bowl of water.

"So you're having exams today." BonBon sat at the table. Yesterday's culinary masterpiece was in front of her, although a remnant of its former self. At this point it might as well have been taken from a cheap caterer. "Got any sleep last night?"

"A bit." Lyra nodded, avoiding her roommate's glance. "Yes. I think I did. I'll catch another hour on the train. Come to think of it, I better go. Can't be late." Mare did I blow this. "Want me to get you anything from Canterlot? I heard there's this new cooking chocolate on sale. All the way from Trottingham."

"No, thanks." BonBon took a bite of her meal.

"Oh." And she's mad at me. Lyra's ears flopped down. "Okay, I'll just head off—"

"Lyra," BonBon interrupted. "I'm sorry for breaking another promise. I really wanted to be with you."

Here it comes. Lyra felt a chunk of ice form in her stomach. There was no reason for her to feel like this, of course. BonBon was merely a roommate. They couldn't even call each other friends. And yet for some reason, she had hoped they might become more. In fact she had put all her hopes in that—the one good relationship that would make up for all the failures so far.

"It's just that work is..." BonBon sighed. "I've strung you along for a month now, haven't I? Making promises, then breaking them. And each time you smile and pretend that it's okay."

"Hey, you have work. I know how it is." Why am I so spineless right now? "It's nothing really. You know me and my big mouth, always presuming things without any thought." The unicorn looked away.

"Lyra, I won't lie to you," BonBon said. Lyra braced herself. Usually this was the point when something bad followed. "I'm really bad at keeping promises. I promise you this, though—if you really want me to be your marefriend, I'll be with you forever."

The ice in Lyra's stomach melted away. Her ears perked up, as she looked at her roommate in an entirely new light, almost unwilling to believe what she had just heard.

"I might not be able to always show up on a date, but I'll always be there beside you if you let me."

And you've kept that promise. Even when I was an ass, you never let me go. Lyra smiled. The noise of the crowd beside her quickly diverted her attention.

"So then I marched right in her office. She's having a meeting with her top Bolts, mind you, and I shout, 'Are you responsible for that disaster!?!'" Blueblood continued with yet another of his stories. Lyra could smell the faint aroma of alcohol come from him—not enough to get him drunk, but definitely more than enough to get the Prince to loosen up. "'I'll drag your scrawny ass to the ground and make sure you never fly again!' There's a total silence. Everypony shuts up. Fleet here is doing a silent "uh oh" probably seeing herself as the next captain. The rest are just staring at me."

"Not quite the way I remember it." Fleetfoot shrugged, only to be completely ignored by everyone.

"Then Spit gets up from behind her desk, takes her glasses off, looks me in the eye and says 'Pup, you can only dream of getting this flank!'" Blueblood slammed his hoof on the floor, along with a burst of laughter.

Lyra rolled her eyes. Stallion stories—there was nothing quite like them. Mares either enjoyed them or found them boring to the extent they'd block them out completely. Raven and the Wonderbolts seemed to find them the most hilarious thing since creation, while Twilight, Moondancer, and Sunburst were smiling gingerly as they glanced at each other, searching for clues how to react. And of course, there was Amethyst and Jade, on the other side from Lyra, who were so focused on each other that they didn't care.

"So, so." Blueblood waved a hoof to get the laughter to an audible level. "Everypony goes quiet, I can literally see Fleet bite her lip. I'm fuming, thinking how to get that wiseass fired."

"And I'm mentally preparing for my talk with Princess Celestia for kicking a prince out of Wonderbolts HQ," Spirtfire added.

"When this idiot-" Blueblood pointed at Soarin "-says 'now kiss'."

A roar of laughter filled the hall, as ponies stomped on the floor. Despite herself Lyra chuckled. It definitely sounded something Soarin would do. Only you could get away with that.

"Well, I thought it would break the tension," Soarin said with a shrug.

"I was so shocked that I literally wished Fire a good day and left," Blueblood struggled to say without laughing.

"Good thing I like my stallions pretty and full of drama," Spitfire said, slapping Blueblood on the rump with her wing.

The laughter stopped. Lyra could see the Prince's nostrils flare up. He turned around, glaring straight at the Wonderbolt captain. Oh, crap. Lyra's ears twitched. Surely the Prince was mature enough to not start a fight, not with foals in the same room? Then again, under that shiny beautiful surface he remained Blueblood. Just like Lyra's parents; they had been the best parents ever, kind, understanding, supportive, yet as soon as one particular topic was mentioned they exploded.

"Did you just call me a drama queen?" Blueblood asked, so close to Spitfire's face that their muzzles were almost touching.

"Oh, definitely," Spitfire smirked. "You're the drama queen of Equestria." Then, before everyone's eyes, she kissed Blueblood.

Lyra heard a glass fall to the ground. Beside her, Twilight was staring at the at the scene, mouth ajar, her levitation spell cut short. A slap, Lyra thought. There's going to be a slap. However, one never followed. Blueblood didn't protest or pull away. His eyes semi-closed for the full period of the kiss. Once over, he cleared his throat and levitated a glass of champagne towards him.

"Damn right I am!" He took a sip, not even flustered by the experience.

"But you're my drama queen. Isn't that right, babe?" Spitfire winked. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for beauties with an explosive temperament. And everypony said we wouldn't last," she snorted.

"What?!" Twilight's wings fluffed up. "You two...? Really? I mean... How? What?

Lyra could only giggle as she watched Twilight explode in a cloud of confusion. In the Princess's defense the realization was somewhere between unexpected and shocking, definitely not a revelation that anypony expected to take place. Lyra couldn't say she knew Blueblood well, or at all for that matter, but she was certain she had never heard him being taken; and by Spitfire of all ponies.

"Isn't he pretty, though? How could I not ask this piece of flank out?" Spitfire passed her wing through Blueblood's mane.

"Careful, cap," Fleetfoot sighed. "There are foals here."

"So?" Spitfire looked at her unapologetically. "They can find their own prince. But, yeah, Blue got me good. Even when he asked me to help with this book thing, I just couldn't say no."

"Well, I am pretty important." Blueblood raised his chin. "Both in real life and Midnight Castle circles. And the thing will become big! Already there's a thriving community forming, right?" He gave Lyra a glance. "From here on it will only get better."

"Whatever you say, babe," Spitfire laughed. "I'm not into this coltfiction stuff, but if it makes you happy I'll help. Hay, I can even transfer these two to your team." She pointed at Fleetfoot and Soarin. "Sky knows I've been trying to get rid of their lazy asses for years. Fleet is already enjoying being a postermare far too much."

And to think the mane event hasn't started yet. Lyra stepped away. As soon as Lurkling and his wife arrived things would get really exciting, and that's not even counting whatever insane party Pinkie Pie and Derpy had planned. In their words it was going to be something “Canterlot would remember for decades,” but then again anything those two did was memorable.

Whispering an excuse, Lyra made her way towards the balcony. It was a good idea to get some fresh air before things got really crazy. On the way she checked her account for messages. There were a few from Lurkling apologizing for being late, as well as two from PPI giving answers to questions Lyra hadn't even asked. That fact that they started with “don't worry” was enough for the unicorn to close the scroll box without opening them. At least today I refuse to give any shit about anything! Lyra snorted and made her way onto the terrace. A step later she stopped in her tracks. On the edge of the balcony Diamond Tiara and Dinky were having a conversation. Lyra couldn't make out what it was, but the moment Diamond Tiara noticed her, she put an end to it. Giving Dinky a peck on the cheek, she trotted towards inside, saying a quick “hey” to Lyra as she passed by.

Dinky, in contrast, remained where she was, back turned. Oh, no. Lyra’s stomach tied up in a knot. As much as she wanted to believe something good had happened, she couldn't. The pose, the silence, the motionless trembling could only indicate one thing—Dinky was crying. Must the universe maintain a constant level of misery? Just as one filly was slowly getting better another went from sad to devastated.

“Dink?” Lyra rushed beside the filly. “Dink, what happened?”

“She…” Dinky sniffled, tears streaming down her face. “She…she thanked me for being such a good friend.”

“Dink…”

“And I had to encourage her that she's got so much to live for and…” The words were stuck in the filly’s throat. Lyra placed a hoof on her shoulder. She could feel Dinky’s entire body trembling. “…and how there was always hope, even if it meant… if it meant her being with Scootaloo.”

Why do bad things happen to good ponies?

“Listen to your own advice,” Lyra whispered, even if she knew it was a lie. The only thing she could do right now is offer a hoof on which Dinky could tug on. “Sometimes miracles can happen.”

“Sometimes miracles can happen, Lyra,” a soft voice said from above.

Lyra didn't react. The pain had made her completely numb. The only thing she could do was sit on the top of the school and glance into the night. At this point she didn't even know how she'd gotten here, and she cared even less. The only thing that mattered was that here she had managed to remain alone for a while.

“Lyra…” A warm wing covered the unicorn’s back. “Lyra, we all cry at times.”

Not like this, she thought. Other ponies’ parents didn't make ultimatums. Other ponies didn't lose the love of their life…twice, a love so unique that it could never be replaced. Lyra had soldiered through all that. She had gritted her teeth, enduring all that fate had thrown at her, believing that in the end something good was awaiting. Yet, as time passed, things became worse and worse until she hit rock bottom. She had lost her home, her family, her friends, and now her future.

“Lyra?”

“I…I'm sorry, Princess Celestia.” Lyra brushed away her tears. That didn't stop them from pouring on. “I'm just being selfish. There are ponies that have a much greater…” She stopped. How could she explain the irrational? “I don't want my lessons to end. The school is the only thing that keeps my mind off the shit around me. I just…”

“Then why stop?” the Princess asked.

It was a simple question, yet the manner in which it was said made Lyra pause. For the first time since she had been there, she looked up. Princess Celestia was beside her, smiling in her unfathomable divine way.

“If you want to keep on going, just do it,” the Princess went on in her motherly voice. “Nopony will think any less of you no matter what you decide.”

“But the fees. My parents said they'd cut me off, if I—“

“Lyra.” Celestia shook her head. “School isn't the reason you're here, is it? If it was a school matter you wouldn't teleport to the roof in the middle of the night. You definitely wouldn't tell your friends they could have your collection of books, then gallop off without a word. There's something else, isn't there?”

Lyra looked away. There were lots of things, so many that she wasn't sure which one of them was the most important. That she was different? That she could not hope to find love, joy, happiness? That she was forced to choose between two things she held dear and couldn't make up her mind which to cast away. Was she too greedy for wanting both?

“This isn't the first time I've seen a dear student face hardship,” the Princess said, wiping away Lyra’s tears with her wing. “Large or small, we all face problems. Some change us in ways we don't expect. Whatever your decision, there will always be somepony you can turn to.”

“But why must we go through them? Can't you make them all better?” Lyra held tight. “You're the Princess, you can do anything!”

“Lyra.” Celestia stroke her mane. “My dear little pony. Even if I could how would you have me make everything better? Should I grant your wish? Or that of your parents? Or that of other ponies who want the same thing you do? If I could shape fate so that it's perfect for everyone, wouldn't it have been so already?”

Of course you wouldn't help me. Why should you? I’m nothing but a utter failure. Why would anypony care?

“Lyra, let me ask you one thing.” Celestia’s horn light up. “You don't have to answer me now, or at all if you so choose. But at least think about it.” Warm light enveloped Lyra. “Would you prefer to live thinking that miracles can happen, or that that they can't?”

“The year is still young, there's plenty of time for miracles.” Lyra winked. “And in the end the fight is just beginning, right? Did Danny give up at every challenge he faced?”

“You know I'm only into Midnight Castle because of Diamond, right?” Dinky let out a deep sigh. She had stopped trembling, even if she appeared just as distraught as before.

“Then use that to win her over.” Lyra winked. “Now let’s go inside. Two days without worrying, remember?”

“I…” Dinky looked at the terrace door. Cheers and laughter were coming from inside the tower. By the sound of things, Blueblood was telling another of his funny stories. “Maybe in a bit.” The foal looked away. “Thank you, Lyra, but I just want to be alone for a while.”

“Have all the time in the world, but take my advice: don't wait too long, okay?” She winked. If only I could suggest something better. “I’ll always be a PM away if you need me.”

Dinky nodded, then went back to gazing at the stars. Lyra waited a few more minutes, then returned to join the rest inside. The experience had brought back memories that hurt like a kick in the stomach. For the sake of the meet-up, however, she put on her happy face and walked in.

“Lyra!” Twilight grabbed her almost instantly. “Come quick! You'll never believe who just arrived!”

“Err, Princess Celestia?” Lyra managed to ask as she was dragged through the entire room.

“Ha, good one!”

It didn't take long for Lyra to find out. Standing in the opposite side of the room, surrounded by fillies and Wonderbolts, towering above them all, stood a very tense white stallion. Next to him, trying to hide her amusement, was a white maned pegasus in trainee uniform.

Oh, dear stars! Lyra covered her face with her hoof. She had completely forgotten how shy Bulk Biceps could get when in placed in a new environment. She had spent days coaxing him to even consider writing on the site. Ever since she had known him, the massive pegasus had preferred to quietly lurk on, even if in his case that was totally unnecessary. Both his wife, and his employers were well aware of his geeky interests and even found them endearing. Despite that, it had taken Lyra great effort to get him out of his shell. And now, after she had finally managed to convince Bulk that there was nothing to be afraid of, he had found himself surrounded by inquisitive ponies, half of which happened to be his superiors.

“Everypony,” Lyra said loudly, diverting the attention to herself. “These are Lurkling and wife, as you have probably guessed, our final late arrivals for the event.”

“Hey, Snowflake!” Spitfire shouted. “Basic training finished ages ago. You don't have to stick to your lead pony anymore!” Tense laughter came from Bulk, as he turned to his wife for support.

Not helping, Spitfire! Lyra grumbled internally.

“Anyway,” Lyra raised her voice. “It's time for the big highlight of the evening, so if you all would please give our poor Lurkling some space and gather in the center of the hall, that would be great.”

One more speech, she told herself. One more and I can finally go to bed. Bulk passed by, whispering a discrete “thank you,” before being urged forward by his wife. The other ponies followed. The noise and laughter vanished as they all prepared for what was to follow. It was almost as if they were expecting some grandiose moment of truth. There were whispers, some insisting that maybe S.Child himself would appear. The truth was that Lyra knew just as little as they did. Luna had promised it would be “something big” conveniently stopping short of specifying what exactly.

Time to get this show on the road.

“Good evening, fellow Nightlings!” Lyra began. Her voice sounded slightly more tired than before, even if just as excited. “I know you've probably had enough of me talking. This is the final time for tonight, I promise.” Laughter filled the room. “As you know we were promised an important Midnight Castle event. I say we because even I have no idea what's about to happen. Personally, I'd like Bellucio to appear out of thin air, or maybe S.Child, but the truth is I’ll have to wait and see. Before that, let me just thank you once more that you're here, and I hope this small meet-up of hours managed to be as gratifying to you says it has been to me. Two days without worries during which the only arguments allowed are who is best humie.”

“Danny!” somepony shouted, followed by a series of boos and ovations.

“Anyway,” Lura cleared her threat. “Enough about me. Let's all hear it from Prince Blueblood who’ll present… whatever it is he’ll present. Stomp your hooves, everypony, for our very own Bellucio!”

Applause shook the floor. Lyra felt her headache increase, but soldiered on. She wasn't going to let this ruin the moment. Her eyes moved from pony to pony, making sure everything was fine. Diamond Tiara seemed considerably better than before, even if she was standing suspiciously close to Scootaloo. Dinky, in contrast, had an expression of marble in turn trying to wedge her way between her secret crush and Silver Spoon.

“Adorable, aren't they?” a voice asked beside Lyra, just as Prince Blueblood was starting his speech. “I wish I could have seen you at that age.”

“Bonny?” Lyra’s heart skipped a beat. Forgetting everything, she turned around, fearing her senses were playing tricks on her. They weren't. Standing a step away, was Bonbon, wearing a vest and tie. Oh, Bonny. Lyra couldn't keep herself from smiling. “You came straight from work?”

“Sort of.” Bonbon planted a kiss on her cheek. “I'm still on duty. Only here for a bit before I have to run off. I know how much this means to you, so I asked my boss for a pause between tasks. She said yes.”

“You're crazy, you know that?” Lyra whispered. And I love you for it! It's just like that time, when you took me to work.

The smell of fresh grass filled Lyra’s nostrils. It was unexpected to say the least. After she had found out about Bon Bon’s real job, the two had made a promise never to keep secrets from each other. The promise itself had been more than enough for Lyra. She knew all she needed to, in order to maintain a good relationship with her marefriend. It had come a as complete surprise when one evening Bon Bon had dropped made the suggestion out of the blue: a visit to her work.

“Are you sure this is it?” Lyra asked. “I could swear I could smell grass.”

“This is it, don't worry about it!” Bon Bon insisted. “Just hold on a bit longer, okay? We’re almost there.”

“If you say so.”

Lyra laughed, but let herself be led on. The hard soil under her hooves gave way to grass. Her ears could catch the the sound of rustling leaves and sparrows, all the while adding to the mystery. She could soon hear the distant roar of a waterfall.

“And your boss is okay with this?” Hesitation crept into Lyra’s voice. “I mean—“

“Don't worry about it, my boss is a darling.” Bon Bon nudged her forward. “When I told her I'll be taking you to work she said it was about time. We've known each other for how long now? Least I could do is show you off.”

Show me off, huh? Lyra smiled. That was a first. If her parents had it their way they would probably hide her away as far away as possible. Lyra suspected that was the reason the family reunions had stopped. They hadn't said it openly, but the hints kept building up. It was only a matter of time until the question worked its way into the open. When that happened Lyra had no idea how she would react.

“And no one would mind?” The mint unicorn wouldn't let it go.

“Relax, will you? It's only for a few hours. During that time I don't want you to worry about anything, okay? I asked my boss, she said it was alright. End of story. Now, take off your blindfold!”

The first thing Lyra saw upon removing her blindfold was a meadow near a brook. There were no rooms, no hallways, no ponies running around with notepads and suitcases, just lush grass, trees, and flowers as far as the eyes could see…and a picnic set-up a few steps away.

“Bonny!” Lyra’s face scrunched. “I thought you were taking me to work!”

“Oh, but I have!” Born Bon insisted. “This is the most secret place there is in the whole of Equestria. The princesses themselves come here to get away from it all. Look, they have even left us some food. It would be a crime to let it go to waste.”

“A crime, you say.” Lyra narrowed her eyes. The picnic basket looked suspiciously like the one Bob Bon kept in her room. It had the same red and green patterns on the side, as well as the initials B.B. embroidered on the handle.

“Oh, definitely!” Bon Bob nodded. “Treason to the crown, I'd say. Punishable by banishment to the moon, no less.”

“Really?” Lyra smirked. “Well, in that case I have no choice. I'm forced to spend the rest of the day at your boring job and help you fulfill your duty.” She sat on the ground and levitated the basket open. “I take it we can't leave until we finish all the food inside?”

“Err, we have to make an effort in any event,” Bon Bon purred. “The Princesses aren't monsters. They’ll understand we've done our best. Worst case scenario the, might task us to repeat the experience and finish what we started.”

A picnic, Lyra thought. Only you can take me out to a top secret picnic far away from everypony else. There was nopony to judge them here, no reason for them to hide, or pretend. For the next few hours they could be exactly what they wanted—free. For the next few hours the rest of Equestria would cease to exist.

“You're crazy, you know that?” Lyra giggled as she levitated a tray with finely-sliced poppy sandwiches. “Absolutely crazy!”

You never took me to work. Instead you gave me the best gift I could wish for—a few hours of joy. If only they could last forever.

“But enough about me,” Blueblood added after another of his jokes. To Lyra’s surprise he managed to handle his audience far better than she had expected. “Let's talk about Midnight Castle. I believe some of you have heard rumors that I might be more involved in the process than any of you thought. The truth is I am the process.” Whispers began circulating once more. “No, no, I know what you're thinking. Who does this beautiful stallion think he is? Well, I'm Prince Blueblood, of course, but also the executive producer of the writing team. Yep, you heard me correct, I'm the one responsible for ensuring that human magic pours from the creative minds of the writing team onto the scrolls you buy, and in accordance with S.Child’s vision. Let me tell you it's not an easy task, but somepony has to do it.”

“Just get on with it!” Spitfire shouted. “Some of us have to be up early tomorrow. We work for a living, you know!”

“As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by the future ex-captain of the Wonderbolts.” Blueblood paused for dramatic effect. “We have a special guest here tonight, a guest whose presence at this event is only possible thanks to the remarkable things the site, and all of you, have achieved. Now I could go on about this for hours, but…since there are impatient marefriends in the audience, let me present someone you all know well.”

Without warning, all the lights went out, plunging the room in total darkness.

What the hay? Lyra’s ears perked up in alarm. This was one more detail Raven and Blueblood had omitted to share.