Harmonic Blue Skies

Chapters

Chapter 1: A New Friend for Sky
Chapter 2: The Art of the Crush
Chapter 3: Time at the Cafe
Chapter 4: First Impressions
Chapter 5: When the Angels Play
Chapter 7: Seeking Support
Chapter 8: A Clear Summer's Night
Chapter 9: Beginnings and Endings
Chapter 10: Meet the Axeblades
Chapter 11: The Final Interlude
Chapter 12: The Final Note
Chapter 13: Sky's Favorite Mares
Chapter 6: A New Rivalry

Chapter 1: A New Friend for Sky

There is a large lake at the north end of Ponyville. It’s so large that it looks like an ocean. The water is a beautiful shade of clear sky blue, and many ponies agree that on a sunny summer day, there are few better places to be.

One sunny morning, the lake was completely quiet and still, except for a single pony flying overhead. His name was Sky Scraper, and he was a pegasus stallion with sky blue eyes, a sky blue coat, and a sky blue mane with a black streak on either side. His cutie mark was a skyscraper with an antenna at the top. He was quite a handsome stallion, but also an introverted one who enjoyed solitude, either flying through the sky or sitting near the water.

As Sky glided high above the lake, he smiled and looked down at his reflection in the water below. Moving here was probably the best decision he’d ever made. He used to live in Manehattan, but the rent on his apartment had become too expensive, and he’d grown tired of being surrounded by thousands of strangers at all hours. Now he could finally get some peace and quiet, surrounded by just the lake, some trees and the crisp, unpolluted air.

Eventually, Sky finished flying around the lake and descended onto the deck of his house. It was a modern elevated house on the lake’s northern shore, the side furthest away from Ponyville. It had been built a few years ago, but the previous owners had only used it as a vacation home. Sky, on the other hoof, had decided to make it his permanent residence. To him, it was a perfect location year-round. It had a wonderful view of the lake, and was far away from any intrusive visitors. Sky hadn’t been to Ponyville yet, as he’d only moved to the lake a week ago and wanted to enjoy his new house as much as he could.

Sky sat down on his deck chair and leaned back to bask in the warm summer sun. This was how he’d spent each morning since moving to the lake. As his name and cutie mark would suggest, he was an architect, and had always held an interest in buildings and bridges. In fact, he was the pony behind several of Manehattan’s newer buildings. He wasn’t working on any projects at the moment, though.

Suddenly, Sky heard hoofsteps below the deck of his house. He flew over to the edge of the deck and saw a tall stallion walking in front of his house. The stallion was another pegasus, with a white coat, a very long green mane, and a cutie mark of a green leaf. He seemed oblivious to the fact that he was trespassing on Sky’s property.

“Hey! You!” Sky shouted at the white pegasus. “Go away! This is my house, and you’re trespassing!”

The white pegasus was taken aback. “I was just walking around the lake, looking at the trees.” he explained. “I didn’t realize somepony lived here now.”

“Well, I live here.” Sky retorted. “And I’d appreciate it if you got off my property.”

The white pegasus sighed. “Look, dude, I’m not going to damage your house or anything. I’m only taking a walk. Besides, it’s not like you own this lake. Other ponies are free to walk around it.”

Sky rolled his eyes. “All right, you have a point. Who are you, anyway? I’ve never seen you before.”

The white pegasus smiled. “I’m Emerald Leaf. I live in the Everfree Forest, at the other end of Ponyville. What about you? I’ve never seen you before, either.”

“I’m Sky Scraper.” Sky replied. “I moved here from Manehattan last week. That city is just too crowded for me, plus the rent on my apartment went through the roof last month. I’m glad to be away from it.”

“Well, you definitely picked a good place to move.” said Emerald. “The lake looks beautiful from here.”

Sky smiled. He now realized that he had been too quick to judge Emerald. “Thanks. This is really the perfect house for me. It has a great view, it’s nice and modern, and it’s a lot quieter than my old apartment in Manehattan.”

“Can’t argue with that.” Emerald chuckled. “I prefer old houses, though. My marefriend and I live in an old stone cottage nestled in the Everfree. We also like having a quiet space away from most other ponies.”

“You have a marefriend?” Sky asked.

“Yep, I do!” said Emerald. “Her name’s Tree Hugger. I met her while studying plants in the White Tail Woods last spring. We started living together a few months ago.”

“That’s nice.” said Sky. “I’ve never even been on a date with a mare myself.”

Emerald shrugged. “Nothing wrong with that. Besides, Ponyville is a nice town. Once you’ve lived here for a little while, you might just find somepony you like.”

Sky thought for a moment. “You know, I haven’t even been to Ponyville yet. The lake is so nice that I’ve just stayed here this entire week.”

“Well, I was about to head into town after I made my way around the lake. Do you want to come with me?” Emerald asked.

Sky smiled. “Of course! You can show me around.”

“Great!” said Emerald. “We can fly across the lake and then we’ll be in town!” Emerald spread his wings and ascended into the air. Sky followed, happy to have made his first new friend in Ponyville.

Soon, Sky and Emerald were on the other side of the lake and crossing over one of the many footbridges leading into Ponyville. Sky was surprised to see so many wooden houses with thatched roofs. “I would have expected this place to be more modern.” he remarked. “Most places don’t have this kind of village-style architecture anymore.”

“That’s true.” Emerald agreed. “These houses are a lot older than your house. They seem to be holding up just fine, though.”

“I suppose so.” said Sky. “I’m an architect, so the houses are usually the first thing I notice about a town.”

“You’re an architect?” Emerald exclaimed. “That’s really cool! What kinds of buildings have you worked on?”

“I’ve designed a few tall buildings in Manehattan.” Sky explained. “I lead the projects by drawing the floor plans and concept art.”

“That sounds like hard work.” said Emerald. “You must get paid really well.”

“Oh, I do!” said Sky. “I’m not the most well-known architect, but I’ve got more than enough to survive being between jobs for a while.”

Sky and Emerald arrived at a building that looked as though it was made out of cake. “Is that a… bakery?” Sky asked.

Emerald nodded. “Yep. That’s Sugarcube Corner. They have the best pastries this side of Equestria.”

“Well then, let’s go in!” Sky suggested. “I’m in the mood for something sweet.”

“Sounds good to me!” said Emerald. “I think I’ll get something too.”

Sky and Emerald entered the bakery. A pink earth pony mare with a fluffy pink mane and a cutie mark of three balloons sat behind the counter. Her bright blue eyes lit up when she saw the two stallions. “Hi, Emerald Leaf!” she said with a gigantic grin. “What can I get ya?” Then she paused and looked at Sky. “Wait a minute… I’ve never seen you before! You must be new here! Welcome to Ponyville!”

“Um… yeah, I am.” said Sky. He was a bit startled by the pink mare’s extreme cheerfulness. “My name’s Sky Scraper, in case you were wondering.”

The pink mare continued grinning. “Nice to meet ya, Sky Scraper! I’m Pinkie Pie!” She reached out and rapidly shook Sky’s hoof. “As a gift for being a new friend, you get a free cupcake!” She pointed to three large cupcakes in the display case. One was yellow, one was brown, and one was pink. Each had lots of icing and sprinkles. “What flavor do you like? Vanilla, chocolate or strawberry?”

“Vanilla.” Sky replied with a smile. He hadn’t expected to get a free cupcake from somepony he’d just met.

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie Pie picked up the yellow cupcake and handed it to Sky. “Here ya go!”

Sky took a bite of the cupcake and grinned. “This is delicious! Thank you so much!”

“No problem!” Pinkie laughed. “It’s my gift to you!” She turned to Emerald. “Anything I can get for you?”

“Do you have any pandan cake today?” Emerald asked.

Pinkie shook her head. “No, sorry. We’re still waiting for a new shipment of pandan leaves from Indoneighsia. Is there anything else you want?”

Emerald thought for a moment. “Can I have that strawberry cupcake over there?” he asked, pointing to the same display case from earlier.

“Sure!” said Pinkie. She picked up the pink cupcake and handed it to Emerald. “Since you’re with Sky, you get a free cupcake too!”

Emerald smiled. “Thanks, Pinkie!” He took a bite of his cupcake. “Delicious as always!”

“No problem, Emerald!” said Pinkie. “Thanks for stopping by!”

Sky and Emerald sat down at a table outside Sugarcube Corner to enjoy their cupcakes. “Well, I’m really glad we stopped here.” said Sky. “I won’t need lunch for a couple more hours.”

“Me neither.” Emerald chuckled. “That means more time for me to show you all around town!”

“Awesome!” said Sky. “What other places do you want to show me?”

“Oh boy, so many choices!” said Emerald. “Ponyville may look like a small village, but it’s got a lot of cool stuff.”

“Well, how about we just walk around town for a while and see what looks interesting?” Sky suggested.

“Fine by me.” Emerald agreed. “But before we go anywhere, I want to enjoy my cupcake for a while.”

Sky laughed. “Same here.”

When Sky and Emerald had finished eating, they began walking around the town. Many other ponies were out and about too, taking advantage of the nice weather.

“How many ponies live in this town?” Sky asked as a group of several earth ponies walked past.

“Quite a few.” Emerald replied. “Not nearly as many as Manehattan, though.”

“No, definitely not.” Sky agreed. “I like this town. It’s not an overcrowded city, but it’s not a lifeless backwater either. I should come here more often.”

Emerald nodded. “You should! We haven’t even gone to the town center yet!”

Sky and Emerald passed by the tea shop and the costume shop, neither of which Sky had any interest in. Eventually they did arrive at the town center, where the Ponyville town hall stood alone, towering above the small houses around it.

Sky laughed. “Well, that’s the biggest building I’ve seen all day. Is it the town hall?”

“Yep!” Emerald replied. “Pretty much all major social events happen here. Want to take a closer look?”

“Definitely!” said Sky. He spread his wings and flew up to the top of the building. He was impressed by the building’s grand scale compared to the rest of the town, as well as the circumferential balconies around each floor. “This building is really great!” he remarked. “You don’t see too many rotundas in Manehattan these days.”

Emerald smiled. “You stop to look at buildings a lot, don’t you?”

“Of course!” Sky replied. “Most of my work involves modern architecture, but I love classic buildings too.” He flew back down to where Emerald was standing.

“Is there a bookstore in Ponyville?” Sky asked. “I always like going to the bookstore.”

“There is, but it’s on the other side of town.” Emerald replied. “The best way to get there is to fly along the river.”

Sky grinned. “That’s perfect! I love being near the water, if you couldn’t already tell.”

“While we’re there, can we stop by the flower shop too?” Emerald asked. “I’ve been meaning to pick up some more seeds for my garden.”

“Sure! Let’s go!” Sky began flying down the river, and Emerald followed.

Toward the east end of Ponyville, the river widens quite a bit, almost forming a small lake. As Sky and Emerald flew over the widest section, Sky noticed a large mansion on the shore below. It was made entirely of shiny white marble. “Wow, look at that mansion down there!” Sky exclaimed. “Does somepony live there?”

“Nopony lives there, at least not anymore.” Emerald explained. “It’s the Ivory Estate. It was built about 100 years ago, for an artist named Ivory Brushstroke. These days, it’s a museum that offers guided tours and displays most of Ivory’s paintings. I can’t say I’ve ever been inside, though.”

“It’s one of the Gilded Age mansions.” Sky commented. “Large homes built by some of the richest ponies in Equestria. There are several in Manehattan still standing, and I’ve been to all of them at least once.” He smiled at Emerald. “Care to join me as I add this one to my list?”

Emerald smiled back. “Sure thing! I’ve got no place to go, really.”

With that, Sky and Emerald flew down to the shore and stood before the doors of the Ivory Estate.

Chapter 2: The Art of the Crush

A large gray earth pony stallion stood at the doors of the Ivory Estate, flanked by two large Corinthian columns on either side. He had a short black mane, and wore a black suit and a pair of dark sunglasses. This was the estate’s security guard. “Guided tour?” he asked Sky and Emerald.

“Yes, please.” said Emerald. “How many bits for two ponies?”

“Twenty-four bits.” the security guard replied. Sky and Emerald each paid him twelve bits, and he allowed them through the estate’s tall wooden doors.

When Sky and Emerald stepped into the Ivory Estate’s front hall, they were amazed by the sheer scale of the mansion. The ceiling was very high, and each wall was made of ornately carved white marble. The entire ceiling itself was a large fresco painting of a young Celestia and Luna, presumably done by Ivory Brushstroke herself. And from what Sky and Emerald could see, the next rooms would be even grander.

“They sure don’t make places like this anymore.” Sky remarked with a smile.

“No, they do not.” Emerald agreed. “It’s a shame, really.”

“What’s even more of a shame is that a lot of these places were demolished, because they were considered overdone and not worth preserving.” Sky went on. “Those ponies were idiots. Neoclassical mansions are truly works of art.”

Emerald nodded. “I couldn’t agree more.”

There were two brass benches with velvet cushions in the hall. One was at the front near Sky and Emerald, and the other was at the back of the room. Since the tour wasn’t due to start for several minutes, Sky and Emerald flew over to the near bench and sat down. “The benches are comfy too.” said Emerald. Sky smiled and nodded in agreement.

While Sky and Emerald sat and admired the painting on the ceiling, a pair of mares came into the estate. One was a mint green unicorn with a turquoise and white mane, while the other was a cream-colored earth pony with a dark blue and pink mane. They sat down together on the other bench, talking and laughing together.

As soon as Sky laid eyes on the mint green unicorn, he felt his heart skip a beat and soar to the sky. She was absolutely gorgeous, the most beautiful mare Sky had ever seen in his life. From her brilliant golden eyes, to her stunning mint coat, to her adorable manestyle, she radiated pure beauty in every way possible. Sky soon found himself admiring her instead of the house.

Several minutes later, Emerald tapped him on the shoulder. “Um, Sky… the tour’s about to start.”

Sky was startled, and snapped out of his daydream. By now, there were eight ponies in the room, waiting for the tour guide to arrive. “Oh… right.” he stuttered. “Sorry, I just… drifted off for a while.”

“It’s all right.” Emerald chuckled. “We got here pretty early.”

Another unicorn mare walked into the room. She had a light purple coat, a two-tone indigo mane, and a cutie mark of two dolphins. “Hello, everypony!” she greeted the group. “Welcome to the Ivory Estate! I’m Sea Swirl and I’ll be your tour guide for today. I’m so glad you all decided to come here!”

“Well, it’s hard to not notice this place when you’re flying over the river.” said Sky. “I saw it and I just had to find out more about it.”

“That’s what pretty much all our visitors say.” Sea Swirl replied. “When Ivory Brushstroke commissioned this mansion 117 years ago, she wanted to make sure it was the biggest and grandest house in Ponyville.”

“Well, she definitely succeeded at that.” Sky remarked.

“Ivory must have been quite a character.” said Emerald.

Sea Swirl laughed. “Oh, she was! She’s got to be my single favorite historical figure. She was just… for the lack of a better term, just such an ass!”

“Oh jeez!” Sky snickered. “What did she do?”

“I’d better explain more about Ivory before we begin the tour.” Sea Swirl said to the whole group. “By the time she moved to this beautiful location on the river, she was by far the most famous and talented painter in Equestria. This made her more than a bit conceited. In addition to being an artist herself, she was also a well-known art critic, and when she saw a painting she didn’t like, she did not hold back! “YOU CALL THAT ART?” was her favorite catchphrase!”

“Sounds like a fun pony.” Sky said with a sarcastic smile.

“It doesn’t end there!” Sea Swirl went on. She pointed up to the ceiling. “The painting above us is one of three fresco paintings in the house. They were all painted by Ivory shortly after the mansion was completed. Anyway, one of the stallions who helped build the house wasn’t such a bad artist himself, and Ivory asked him to paint the front hall’s ceiling. Hoping to impress Ivory, he painted the ceiling as ornately as he could. It took him two whole weeks to finish. But Ivory hadn’t asked for that, and she wasn’t impressed. So she completely painted over his work, and replaced it with the image of the Royal Sisters that’s up there today.”

“Wow… that’s just mean!” the mint green unicorn exclaimed, in an adorable voice that made Sky feel warm all over. “All that hard work, and for nothing!”

“Oh, totally!” Sea Swirl agreed. “There’s a lot of stories about her, but we’d better get to the rest of the house first.” She began walking through the wide golden archway into the next room, and Sky, Emerald and the rest of the tour group followed.

The next room was a dining room that was at least twice the size of the front hall. In the middle was a large glass dining table with nine intricately carved wooden chairs. “This, of course, is the dining room.” Sea Swirl explained. “Ivory was never married, nor did she ever have a social gathering with nine ponies. She set up this room just to flaunt her wealth!”

Sky looked all around the room. Three of the walls had a large landscape painting, presumably done by Ivory. The remaining wall had a wide window that offered a beautiful view of the river. Sky walked over to that side of the room and stood there while Sea Swirl continued her talk.

“The three paintings you see here are, of course, by Ivory. She never displayed anypony else’s artwork in her home, no matter how many tried to sell their art to her.”

As nice as the ocean view was, Sky’s gaze inevitably shifted back to the beautiful mint green unicorn. She and her friend were smiling as they admired one of Ivory’s paintings. Sky wished he could walk over and talk to her, but she probably wasn’t interested in him, and he didn’t want to risk embarrassing himself in front of her.

As Sea Swirl led the group through the library and one of Ivory’s studies, Sky found it difficult to focus on the décor or the art. He was tantalizingly close to his new crush, and couldn’t stop gazing at her. Once she nearly bumped into him, causing him to blush bright red and giggle quietly.

Eventually, there was only one room left on the first floor. “This is the conservatory,” said Sea Swirl, “which is my personal favorite room. It’s right on the riverbank, and the glass windows allow the sun to shine in from all directions. We have a bunch of Ivory’s paintings on display here.”

Sky could definitely see why Sea Swirl liked this room the most. The river view here was even better than in the dining room, and the beams of sunlight reflecting off of the marble walls highlighted the paintings beautifully.

After looking around for a while, Sky settled on one particular painting that he really liked. It was a painting of the Canterlot skyline that looked like a photograph. Each and every building was depicted with great precision, and the lighting was just perfect. Sky walked over to take a closer look at it, and just as he did so, the mint green unicorn and her friend walked over as well.

When Sky saw her up close for the first time, he blushed and his heart started beating much faster. Her luminescent golden eyes glistened in the summer sun, and her turquoise mane looked amazingly soft and fluffy. She had a sweet spearmint aroma about her that made Sky want to be around her all day.

It was easy for Sky to admire her from afar, but now that she was right there next to him, he couldn’t just stand there awkwardly. So he stuttered the first thing that he thought of. “This painting is, um… really nice.”

To his surprise, she smiled and nodded in agreement. “Oh, it is! Ivory Brushstroke really was the best painter of her time.” She motioned to her friend, the cream-colored earth pony. “Bon Bon here suggested that we take a tour here today, and I’m so glad we did. My name’s Lyra Heartstrings, by the way.”

“Lyra Heartstrings… that’s a really pretty name.” said Sky. He blushed and wondered if he shouldn’t have said that.

Lyra then blushed a bit herself. “Thank you, um… what’s your name?”

“Sky Scraper. I just moved here from Manehattan last week. Ponyville’s quite a nice town.”

“It absolutely is!” Bon Bon agreed. “Lyra and I have lived here for a long time, and we’ve been best friends ever since we were fillies.”

“That’s nice!” said Sky. “I’ve never had that many friends myself, though.”

“What about that stallion you were with earlier?” Lyra asked.

Sky chuckled. “I actually just met him today. He’s my first friend in this town, since I didn’t leave my house during my first week here.”

“Why would you stay inside all week?” Lyra laughed. “It’s so nice outside!”

Sky blushed a bit. “I wasn’t inside all week. I was flying over the lake and sitting on my deck. I live in that modern house on the far side of the lake.”

“You live on the lake?” Lyra exclaimed. “That must be so nice. I go there all the time, just to sit by the water and play my lyre.”

“You play the lyre?” Sky asked. Then he looked down at the side of Lyra’s flank and blushed. “Well, I guess I should have known that from your cutie mark.”

Lyra grinned. “Yep! I’ve been playing it ever since I was a filly. Sometimes I perform at music shows in Ponyville and Canterlot.”

“That’s a great career to have.” said Sky. “I’ve always liked string instruments. They’re so relaxing.”

“They are!” Lyra agreed. “They blend together so nicely too. My friend Octavia plays the cello, and she and I have collaborated on a lot of songs.” She tilted her head to look at Sky’s cutie mark. “You have a cool cutie mark. Are you an architect?”

Sky smiled and blushed again. “Yes, actually, I am! I’ve designed several buildings in Manehattan. They’re not famous buildings that you’d know about, but they all came out pretty nicely. I’m between jobs at the moment, though, which was why I was able to move here.”

“Wow! It’s amazing that you’ve actually designed entire buildings!” said Lyra. “Most ponies could never do that.”

Sky grinned. He was getting more comfortable talking to Lyra. “Well, I went to the Canterlot School of Architecture, and I graduated at the top of my class. I’m not exactly most ponies, am I?” he chuckled.

Lyra giggled. “No, you’re not!”

Eventually, it was time to head up to the second floor. As Sky, Lyra and Bon Bon walked back into the foyer and up the stairs, Emerald joined up with Sky again. “Hey, Sky! Why’d you ditch me back there?” he laughed.

Sky blushed. “Sorry. I was talking to Lyra and Bon Bon here.”

“Yeah, Lyra and Sky really hit it off!” Bon Bon added.

“Sky’s a pretty interesting pony.” Lyra went on, causing Sky to smile and blush again. “Did you know he’s a famous architect?”

“Well, I’m not really famous, but thanks anyway.” said Sky.

“Of course I do!” said Emerald. “He told me all about it when we were walking through Ponyville this morning. He was the one who suggested we take a tour here, and I’m glad he did! This place is amazing!”

In the large hall at the top of the stairs, there was another fresco painting of Celestia and Luna. Compared to the one in the front hall, this one was larger and depicted the princesses as they appear today. “As you can see, Ivory greatly admired the royal sisters.” said Sea Swirl. “She completed this painting about ten years after the first one. This painting is a lot more detailed, which shows that no matter how vain Ivory was, she was always trying to improve herself as an artist. She was a perfectionist to the very end!”

“Sounds a lot like me, especially when I was younger.” Sky remarked. “Anything I drew was either perfect or garbage, there was no in-between.”

“I was like that too when I first started writing my own music.” said Lyra. “It’s important to have fun and not be so hard on yourself.” Sky nodded in agreement.

As the tour continued through the guest bedroom, two more of Ivory’s studies, and the door to the servant quarters on the inaccessible third floor, all four ponies bonded over their shared appreciation for classical art and architecture. Walking next to Lyra put Sky in a very happy place.

After a while, the tour group came to the last and largest room on the second floor. Ivory’s very spacious bedroom had art and decorations on every wall, and a giant map of Equestria painted on the ceiling. “Wow… the details on this map are amazing! How long did it take her to finish it?” Sky asked.

“About five years.” Sea Swirl explained. “By that time, she was getting old and her eyesight was beginning to fail, but painting a map of all of Equestria had been one of her lifetime goals. She was a stubborn mare who never left anything unfinished!”

“How old was she when she died?” Emerald asked.

“She lived to be a very old mare.” Sea Swirl replied. “There’s some debate over the year of her birth, but most sources say she was 95 when she passed on. By then she’d completed over 500 paintings in her lifetime, and her artwork was on display in every major city in Equestria. She was an insufferable genius, but she certainly lived a full life.”

Outside Ivory’s bedroom, there was a large balcony directly above the conservatory from earlier. Before Sea Swirl led the tour group out there, she shared the funniest Ivory story yet.

“Although Ivory was never married, she had relationships with several stallions during her life.” Sea Swirl recounted. “One of them was an earth pony named Penny Pincher, who was much younger than her. As you can tell by his name, he was only interested in Ivory because of her wealth, and didn’t truly find the old mare attractive at all. One day, Ivory caught him going out with a younger mare. He tried to explain, but it was no use. Using her unicorn magic, Ivory picked him up and threw him off this very balcony!”

This story elicited gasps and laughter from the entire tour group. “That’s, like, thirty feet!” Sky exclaimed. “Did he even survive that?”

“He broke his skull and both of his right legs when he hit the ground.” Sea Swirl replied. “He didn’t die, but he was in the hospital for a long time. He may not have ever walked again, either.”

“Okay, he had that coming to him!” Bon Bon laughed. “Ivory Brushstroke was not someone you messed with!”

“No, she was not!” Sea Swirl agreed. “If you go out onto the balcony, you can see the spot where Penny Pincher hit the ground. It’s marked with an orange X.” She opened the sliding glass door to the balcony. “The original wooden doors were damaged by weather, so we had to replace them with this glass door.” she explained.

When Sky stepped out onto the grand balcony, he was greeted by a gentle summer breeze from the clear blue river below. The view was absolutely perfect, as the balcony was high enough for him to see the full width of the river and the rolling hills and trees on the other side. He noticed Lyra and Bon Bon standing at the edge of the balcony, and walked over to be next to Lyra. “This is one incredible view, isn’t it?” he said softly.

Lyra smiled warmly and nodded. “You can see everything from up here… including the spot where Penny Pincher landed!” She giggled and pointed down to a big orange X marked on the ground below. It was some distance from the house, and only a few feet away from the edge of the river.

“He went pretty far!” Sky laughed. “If he’d gone a few feet further, he would have drowned for sure!”

“I just wish my magic was that good!” said Lyra. “I can’t levitate more than ten books at a time, let alone a pony!”

Sky simply beamed. He was happy to relax in the sun, enjoy the view, and be near Lyra. He was sad when Sea Swirl announced that the tour was over. He followed Emerald, Lyra and Bon Bon back indoors and down the rear stairs to the exit.

“We’d love to hang around here for a while, but we’re meeting some of our friends in Canterlot this afternoon.” said Bon Bon.

“It was nice meeting you both today!” Lyra said to Sky and Emerald.

Sky blushed and smiled. “You too, Lyra.” He waved to her as she and Bon Bon headed off.

When the two mares were gone, Emerald turned to Sky. “That tour was so good! Thanks so much for suggesting it!”

“No problem!” said Sky. “I thought it’d be really cool, and I was right! Amazing architecture, amazing location, amazing everything!”

“You got to meet a couple of mares too.” Emerald added. “Well, so did I, but you and Lyra talked quite a bit!”

Sky blushed again. “We sure did. Gosh, she’s so beautiful…”

Emerald winked at Sky. “Does somepony have a crush?”

Sky nodded. “Yep. I couldn’t hide it, could I?”

“I could tell just from the way you were always looking at her.” Emerald chuckled. “But I figured I wouldn’t say anything until we were alone again.”

“Well, thanks for that.” said Sky. “I just hope I get a chance to see her again at some point.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will.” Emerald said reassuringly. “You should visit town more often. You’re bound to run into her again.”

Sky nodded. “I’ll be sure to do that. But for now, we still have two more places to visit today. Which is closer, the bookstore or the flower shop?”

“I’m not sure.” said Emerald. “But I think they’re both that way.” He pointed to a road leading back into town.

“Perfect!” said Sky. “Let’s go!” He and Emerald spread their wings and continued on their way.

Chapter 3: Time at the Cafe

It had been a few days since Sky’s first trip to Ponyville. He now went to town every morning, but hadn’t seen Lyra again. Emerald was also nowhere to be seen, as he and Tree Hugger had gone to Vanhoover for the week. But Sky wasn’t completely lonely. Today he was at an outdoor cafe in Canterlot, as his favorite cousin had invited him to have lunch with her.

“It’s been a long time, Sugar.” said Sky. “How have you been?”

“It’s only been a month, Sky.” Sugarcoat replied in her characteristically blunt manner. “But I’ve been great. Things have never been better at the explosives factory.”

Sugarcoat was the only foalhood friend that Sky still had. Like Sky, she was a pegasus, with a cornflower blue coat, lavender eyes, and a silky silver mane tied into a pair of long twintails. Her cutie mark was a purple and yellow firecracker, which fit well with her job at Canterlot’s largest pyrotechnics company.

“Oh yeah, you told me you got a promotion there.” Sky remarked. “I guess you’re one of the higher-ups now?”

“I’m effectively the boss now.” Sugarcoat explained. “The owner of the company doesn’t actually do anything, so I’m in charge of pretty much the whole company.”

Sky grinned and gave Sugarcoat a hoof bump. “Wow, that’s awesome! Good for you!”

Sugarcoat smiled. “Thanks, Sky. I guess things have been going well for you too?”

Sky nodded. “Moving to Ponyville was a great decision. Instead of an old cramped apartment in downtown Manehattan, I now have my own amazing lake house far away from anypony else. It’s a very refreshing change!”

“I can imagine!” Sugarcoat agreed. “I never saw the appeal in Manehattan anyway. It may look nice from a distance, but once you’re actually there it’s just an overcrowded, noisy, dirty city. If you ask me, Canterlot and Ponyville are the only places to live.”

Sky chuckled. “Honestly, I agree with that – except for our old hometowns in the northeast, of course. I only moved to Manehattan so that I could start my career faster. I wasn’t staying there any longer than I needed to. Plus, rent there is way too expensive.”

“That’s because your apartment was on the 17th floor.” said Sugarcoat. “Higher floors are better than lower floors in pretty much every way, but that’s why they’re more expensive.”

“Yep. That’s why I had to move out.” said Sky. “The building owner jacked up the price, and I wasn’t going to stand for it.”

Sugarcoat nodded. “Of course. Anyway, how are you liking Ponyville so far? I’ve found it’s a lot friendlier than Manehattan.”

“Oh, absolutely.” Sky agreed. “Ponies here are much more approachable. I actually made a new friend just a few days ago.”

“Really? That’s great!”

“Yeah! He’s another pegasus named Emerald Leaf.” Sky explained. “I met him in a pretty funny way. He was walking in front of my house, and I thought he was trespassing on my property. But then we started talking to each other, and he turned out to be a really nice guy. He took me for a tour of Ponyville that same day.”

Sugarcoat smiled. “That’s awesome! I’m glad you’re opening up to other ponies. I can’t always be there to speak for you, you know.”

Sky thought back to when he was a colt and Sugarcoat was a filly. In his youth, Sky had been rather reclusive and antisocial, and as such, Sugarcoat usually spoke for him when they were around new ponies. “Well, I have come a long way since then.” said Sky. “I actually met a couple of mares this week too.”

Sugarcoat’s eyes lit up and she winked at Sky. “Ooh, tell me about them!”

“Well, during my tour of Ponyville with Emerald, I spotted the Ivory Estate and suggested that we take a tour of it. Do you know where that is?”

“Of course.” said Sugarcoat. “I’ve been there once, it’s a beautiful house. What did you think of it?”

“It was amazing!” Sky agreed. “I’ve been to lots of Gilded Age mansions, but the Ivory Estate was definitely the biggest and grandest one so far. Anyway, there were these two mares, a unicorn and an earth pony, who were in our tour group, and oh my gosh, the unicorn was just drop-dead gorgeous! I couldn’t decide whether to admire the house or her!”

“You have a crush on her, don’t you?” Sugarcoat giggled. “What’s her name?”

“Lyra Heartstrings – she has a really pretty name.” Sky replied. “And yeah, I really can’t deny it. I definitely have a crush.”

“I hope you got a chance to speak to her.” said Sugarcoat.

Sky smiled. “I did! She was really nice, and was interested in hearing about my architecture career. I also liked hearing about her music career – she plays the lyre, one of my favorite instruments.”

“Sounds like somepony worth talking to again.” Sugarcoat agreed. “You should write a letter to her at some point. It’s not that hard.”

“I considered doing that, but I thought it might be a little weird writing to a mare I’ve only met once.” said Sky. “But I’ve been going to Ponyville every day now, so hopefully I’ll see her again at some point.”

“I hope so too.” said Sugarcoat. “But try to become friends with her first before you think about asking her on a date.”

Sky nodded. “Of course. I don’t want to rush it.”

Just then, Sky looked down the street and noticed Lyra and Bon Bon walking toward the cafe. As they turned to go inside, Bon Bon looked in Sky’s direction, then giggled and nudged Lyra, causing Lyra to blush. Sky was left feeling a bit confused, as he wasn’t sure what that meant.

Sugarcoat tapped Sky on the shoulder. “Sky, what are you looking at?”

Sky turned back to face his cousin. “Oh, nothing. Just looking around at the scenery.”

“Well, this part of the city is nice.” said Sugarcoat. “There are a lot of pretty buildings around here.”

“Indeed.” agreed Sky. “I like it here. All of these neoclassical buildings go together beautifully.”

Sky then heard a familiar voice. “Hey, Sky! I wasn’t expecting to run into you here!”

Sky turned to see Lyra and Bon Bon standing next to him. He felt his heart beat faster as he laid eyes upon the mare of his dreams. “Oh… hi, Lyra!” he chuckled. “I was just having lunch with my cousin Sugarcoat.” He motioned to Sugarcoat, who waved to Lyra. “What about you and Bon Bon?”

“We’re having lunch here too.” Lyra replied. “We just placed our orders.”

“Do you mind if we sit here with you?” Bon Bon asked.

Sky grinned. “Of course not!” He got up and grabbed two chairs from the next table so that Lyra and Bon Bon could sit down.

“Well, this is a coincidence.” Sugarcoat remarked to Lyra. “Sky was just talking about you earlier.”

“He was?” Lyra asked.

“Well… yeah.” Sky stuttered, blushing. “I was just telling Sugarcoat about my visit to the Ivory Estate. Remember?”

“Oh, right!” Lyra laughed. “That was really fun. Especially the story about Penny Pincher!”

“That’s the best Ivory story, hooves down.” said Sugarcoat. Sky smiled and nodded in agreement.

“I know, right! I just love how they marked where he landed!” Lyra giggled.

Bon Bon turned to Sugarcoat. “So you and Sky are cousins? You two must go back a long way.”

“Of course! We’ve known each other our entire lives!” Sugarcoat laughed. “We used to hang out all the time when we were foals.”

“Sugar’s parents owned this really nice beach house near Horseshoe Bay, and I spent a week or two there every summer.” said Sky. “Ah, those were some good times.”

“Horseshoe Bay is really nice.” said Bon Bon. “My parents live there now, so I go down there a few times a year.”

“Sometimes I go with her.” Lyra added. “The beaches there are some of the best in Equestria.”

“Oh, they are!” Sugarcoat agreed. “The water is always warm and clean, and the sand is really soft. Whenever Sky came to visit, he and I would spend most of the day on the beach, swimming in the water or sunbathing on our towels. Fortunately, we always put on lots of sunscreen beforehand, so we never got burned!”

“Well, that’s good!” Bon Bon laughed. “One time I forgot…”

At that moment, the waiter arrived with Lyra and Bon Bon’s plates. “The food here is so good.” Lyra said as she began eating.

“It’s the best cafe in Canterlot.” said Sugarcoat. “Just wait until you get dessert.”

“Anyway, how did you and Bon Bon meet?” Sky asked.

“Well, when I was a filly, I lived here in Canterlot, and I went to Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.” Lyra explained. “I definitely wasn’t the most outstanding student there, but I still graduated. After that, my parents and I moved to Ponyville because my mom got a new job. A few days later, Pinkie Pie found out that I was new to the town, and decided to throw a welcome party for me!”

Bon Bon continued the story. “Oh, that was a great party! Nearly all the fillies in Ponyville showed up for it, including me. Lyra and I met and bonded really quickly, and we spent most of the party talking about, well, everything!”

“Bon Bon and I discovered that even though we weren’t the same type of pony, we had a lot in common with each other!” Lyra went on. “We’d only known each other for one day, but we were already talking like old friends. Over the next few years, she and I sat on many benches together, and had many long talks. Eventually, my parents moved back to Canterlot, but since I was old enough to live on my own by then, I stayed in Ponyville with my best friend.”

Sky smiled warmly. “That’s a really nice story. I wish I made long-lasting friendships that easily.”

“Well, as I said before, you just need to put yourself out there.”Sugarcoat said, patting Sky on the back.

“Do you have any other friends in Canterlot?” Sky asked Lyra.

Lyra smiled and nodded. “I was friends with several other fillies at Celestia’s school. You might not believe this, but one of them was Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship herself!”

Sky’s eyes widened. “Really? You knew Twilight Sparkle?”

“I sure did!” said Lyra. “She was the number one student in my class, absolutely no contest there! Her magic was so strong that she graduated two years earlier than the rest of us!”

“Wow! What was she like besides that?” Sky asked.

“To be honest, she wasn’t really the social type.” Lyra replied. “She was always more interested in studying and learning new spells than hanging out with the other fillies.”

“Well, she must have changed since then, if her title is the Princess of Friendship.” Sugarcoat quipped.

“Oh yeah, she’s much friendlier now.” Lyra agreed. “My other old friends and I had dinner with her a couple weeks ago, and she’s definitely changed a lot.”

“I can imagine that.” said Sky. “Do your old friends still live in Canterlot?”

Lyra nodded. “Yeah. I usually come here to visit them, but sometimes they come to Ponyville to visit me.”

“You have a lot more friends than I ever did.” Sky chuckled. “When I was a colt, I spent most of my time writing and drawing by myself. Kind of like Twilight, I guess.”

“Since you’re a pegasus, did you grow up in Cloudsdale?” Lyra asked.

“No, actually. I grew up in this town called Manebridge.” Sky replied. “It’s one of those smaller towns north of Manehattan. It’s mostly earth ponies who live there, so my parents and I were in the minority. Since I was one of the only pegasi at my school, my classmates were always asking me for help when they couldn’t reach something!”

Lyra laughed. “Not surprising!”

“Yeah, we pegasi get that a lot from earth ponies.” Sugarcoat chuckled.

“No offense, Bon Bon.” Sky added.

Bon Bon smiled. “None taken.”

By now, all four ponies had finished eating. The waiter returned with the dessert menus. “Would anypony like dessert?” he asked in a French accent.

Sky looked over the dessert menu. “I’ll have an ice cream sundae, please.”

“I’ll have one too.” said Sugarcoat.

Lyra and Bon Bon looked at each other. “Make it four!” said Lyra.

The waiter nodded and headed back inside. He returned with four ice cream sundaes. “Here you go. Enjoy!”

“Thank you!” said Lyra. She took a spoon and dug into her sundae. “Mmm… ice cream always hits the spot!”

Sky grinned. “That we can all agree on!”

Eventually, all four ponies finished their ice cream, and was time for them to head their separate ways. “Thanks for letting us sit with you.” Lyra said to Sky. “Running into you again here was a really pleasant surprise.”

“No problem, Lyra.” Sky said with a smile. “I mean, we’re becoming friends, right?”

“I wouldn’t have asked to sit with you if we weren’t.” Lyra laughed. “Hopefully Bon Bon and I will see you again soon. Maybe next time we can plan to meet up somewhere instead of just running into each other.”

Sky blushed. “That sounds good to me. I’ll try to write to you soon.”

“Or I could write to you first.” Lyra giggled. “Anyway, Bon Bon and I have to go now. It was nice seeing you again, Sky!”

“And it was nice meeting you, Sugarcoat.” Bon Bon added. She and Lyra turned and walked down the street together, while Sky and Sugarcoat flew back the other way.

“Well, this has been a great day for you, hasn’t it?” said Sugarcoat.

“Of course!” Sky agreed. “There I was, worrying that I wouldn’t get to see Lyra again, and then I did!”

“You should definitely write to her like you said.” Sugarcoat advised. “After today, I’d say you have a pretty good chance with her. And this is coming from a mare who’s turned down multiple stallions.”

Sky nodded. “Thanks, Sugar. I’m feeling really great about this.”

Chapter 4: First Impressions

One Saturday morning, Sky made himself vanilla pancakes. He’d learned the recipe from his mother when he was a teenager. Homemade pancakes were the only pancakes that satisfied him, as restaurant pancakes simply could not compete. He never ate them with maple syrup or fruit toppings, either. The pancakes were perfect just as they were, and he didn’t need anything else diluting their flavor.

After enjoying his breakfast, brushing his teeth and styling his mane, Sky headed outside to fly around the lake for a while. But as soon as he opened his door, he spotted an envelope sitting in his mail basket. “Probably just more junk mail.” he muttered to himself as he picked it up.

Sky read the writing on the front of the envelope and discovered that it was a letter to him from Lyra. He’d been waiting a few days to write to her as he’d promised, but now she had written to him first. He excitedly raced back inside to tear the envelope open and read Lyra’s letter.

Dear Sky,

I guess I’m the one writing to you first! Anyway, my parents are adding a big extension to their house, and they want an architect to design it. I suggested that they hire you, and they’ve agreed to meet you at their house today. I’ll meet you at the train station at 11, and then we can take the train to Canterlot! See you there!

- Lyra

Sky couldn’t believe what a great opportunity he’d been given. Since he didn’t have to be at the train station for another hour, he figured he had a lot of time to prepare for the visit and make himself look as good as possible. He grabbed his saddlebag and flew upstairs to get everything he needed.

Any time Sky started a new job, he always brought a pencil, a notepad and a tape measure with him, all essential supplies for site analysis. To boost his resume, he also brought pictures of his previous designs, which he kept sitting in a stack on his desk. Once everything was in the bag, he flew back downstairs and out of the house.

Since the Ponyville train station was on the opposite side of town, it took a while for Sky to get there, but he still arrived several minutes ahead of schedule. Since Lyra wasn’t there yet, Sky grabbed a newspaper to read while he waited.

“Rarity Opens New Store in Canterlot – meh, doesn’t really concern me.” Sky said to himself as he read the headlines. “Wind Rider Discharged from Wonderbolts – well, at least this is a little more interesting!”

Sky had been reading the newspaper for a few minutes when he felt somepony tap him on the shoulder. He turned around and saw Lyra smiling. “Oh, hey, Lyra!” he said. “You startled me there!”

“Hey, Sky!” said Lyra. “Sorry if I startled you. How long have you been here?”

“Four or five minutes, maybe.” Sky replied, scratching his head. “I got here kind of early.”

In the distance, both Sky and Lyra heard the whistle of the train. “Well, here it comes.” said Sky. “I hope I can make a good first impression on your parents.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will!” said Lyra. “Don’t worry about it!”

The train arrived, and Sky and Lyra boarded the first coach together. They sat down across from each other, and when there were no more ponies left on the platform, the train whistled again and departed the station.

Being alone with Lyra for the first time made Sky feel, as Pinkie Pie would say, nervicited. He was more comfortable talking with her now, but wanted to make sure he didn’t say or do anything wrong. He opened his saddlebag and pulled out the pictures of his previous work. “Here are some pictures of other buildings I’ve designed.” he explained. “What do you think?”

Lyra looked them over and was most impressed. “They’re amazing!” she exclaimed. “You have this modern, geometric style and it looks really cool! I’m sure my parents will love it too.”

“I hope so.” said Sky. “How many other architects have your parents consulted?”

“Just one.” Lyra replied. “He was an older architect from Canterlot, but apparently he was too stubborn, so my parents didn’t hire him.”

Sky chuckled. “Well, at the very least, I think I’m better than that guy.”

“From what my parents told me, it’d be hard to be worse!” Lyra laughed.

The train was now winding its way up and around the Canterlot mountainside, crossing wooden trestles over wide blue waterfalls. Sky looked out the window at the view. “Everything down below looks so tiny!” he remarked.

“It does!” Lyra agreed. “It’s a great view. Taking the train up to Canterlot is always fun!”

Eventually, the train reached the top of the mountain and arrived at the Canterlot station. It came to a halt, and Sky and Lyra disembarked. “Well, that was a fun ride.” Sky remarked. “How far is it to your parents’ house from here?”

Lyra pointed down the main road. “To get there, you have to follow the main road for a while and then turn down one of the side roads further into the city. It’s kind of a long walk, but we can both handle it, right?”

“Of course.” said Sky. “You’ll have to lead the way, though.”

“No problem!” said Lyra. The two ponies got off the platform and set off down the road together.

“So, what was it like growing up here?” Sky asked as they walked past Canterlot Castle.

Lyra thought for a moment. “You know, it was interesting to grow up surrounded by so many rich and famous ponies, but I never really got what all the fuss was about. It’s a beautiful city, but I definitely prefer living in Ponyville.”

“I guess you mainly come back here to visit your friends?” Sky asked.

“Pretty much, yeah.” Lyra replied. “My old friends and my parents.”

Further down the road, Lyra pointed to an old gray building with three tall purple spires. “There’s my old school! Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.”

“It’s a nice building.” said Sky. “I really like the spires. I take it you studied under Celestia herself here?”

“I sure did!” Lyra replied. “Celestia may be the ruler of Equestria, but she’s also an amazing teacher. She was always so kind and supportive to everypony in the class. Oh, those were good times!”

“It sounds pretty good to me!” Sky agreed. “You met your old friends there too, right?”

Lyra nodded. “Yep! Minuette, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine and Moondancer. We used to have so much fun doing lab experiments together. That was the best part of Celestia’s school!”

“Do you have any good stories about it?” Sky asked.

Lyra laughed. “Oh, yeah! Do you want to hear about the time Lemon Hearts got her head stuck in a beaker?”

“That sounds like a good one.” Sky chuckled. “Do tell!”

So Lyra did. “One day, the whole class was making salt licks, and it was Lemon Hearts’ job to clean the beakers before anypony used them. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I think she spotted some grease at the bottom of one of the beakers. She stuck her head into the flask to take a closer look, and boom! She was stuck!”

Sky burst out laughing. “Why would she even do that?! I wouldn’t stick my head in it, I’d just wash it out!”

“I have no idea!” Lyra laughed. “Anyway, she started running around and screaming like a crazy pony, and Minuette and Twinkleshine had to chase her and pin her down. It took her ten minutes to stop kicking and screaming, and at that point Minuette and Twinkleshine could finally use their magic to pull the beaker off her head!”

Sky tried to contain his laughter. “Yeesh! What happened afterward?”

“Everypony just went back to what they were doing.” said Lyra. “Except for me. Lemon didn’t want anything to do with the beakers after that, so she made me wash them instead. She and I were lab partners for that experiment, and I did pretty much all the work because she was too traumatized to do anything!”

“Sounds like that was an interesting day!” Sky chuckled. “And I bet Lemon Hearts will never live that one down!”

Lyra grinned. “Nope!”

Lyra turned and led Sky down the next side road. “This is my parents’ street!” she said. “We’re almost there!”

“What house number do they live at?” Sky asked.

“Eighty-three.” Lyra replied. “It’s closer to the other end of the street.”

Sky looked at the nearest house and saw the number seven on the door. They still had some distance to go, but since he was with Lyra, he didn’t mind. “The houses on this street are really nice.” he remarked.

“They are!” Lyra agreed. “Most of the houses on this street are pretty old. Some were built more than a hundred years ago.”

“Around the same time as the Ivory Estate, then.” said Sky. “Just out of curiosity, what do your parents do for a living?”

Lyra smiled. “My dad was a famous classical musician back in the day. He performed at music festivals all across Equestria. He traveled less frequently after I was born, but as soon as I was old enough to control my magic, he started teaching me how to play the lyre.”

“How long did it take you to learn?” Sky asked. “I’ve never been able to play any instrument myself.”

“It took me a really long time to become as good as my dad.” Lyra admitted. “Even now, I probably won’t ever be as famous as him.”

“Well, I’d love to hear you play one of these days.” said Sky. “Do you have any shows coming up?”

Lyra nodded. “I actually have one next week! Me and the other musicians in Ponyville are doing our annual summer music show next Sunday. I’ll be performing some of my new songs there, and since you’re a friend, you’re welcome to come backstage too!”

Sky smiled and blushed lightly. “That sounds great! I’ll definitely be there!”

“Awesome!” said Lyra. “The music show is really fun, you’ll definitely enjoy it! Anyway, my mom was one of the managers of a tea company in Canterlot, but the company went bust after the owner gambled it away. That happened not too long after I graduated from Celestia’s school, and it’s why we moved to Ponyville for a few years. My mom got a job with a different tea company in Ponyville, but when the company opened a second location in Canterlot, my parents moved back here.”

“Cool!” said Sky. “Is your mom still working or is she retired?”

“She retired from the company last year.” Lyra replied. “My parents dreamed of doing this extension project for a long time, and now that they’re both retired, they can finally make it happen!”

After passing by a few more houses, Lyra and Sky reached their destination. Lyra’s parents’ house was a two-story light green stucco house with golden lining and shutters. The number 83 and the symbol of a harp were painted on the door. There was a large empty space between it and the next house. “Well, here it is!” said Lyra. “What do you think?”

“It’s nice!” said Sky. “I really like the colors. I imagine the extension’s going to be built in that empty space over there?”

“Yep!” said Lyra. “It’s been empty for as long as I can remember. I heard there was another house there once, but it’s long gone now. Anyway, let’s go meet my parents!” Lyra led Sky up the front steps of the house and rang the doorbell. Sky was nervous as he waited for somepony to answer.

Eventually, Lyra’s mother opened the door. She was an older unicorn with a cyan coat and a short lavender mane. She also wore a light blue satin skirt. “Hello, Lyra.” she said. “I’m glad you made it. Is this the Sky Scraper fellow you talked about?”

Lyra smiled. “He sure is!” She turned to Sky. “Sky, this is my mom, Spearmint Tea.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Spearmint.” said Sky.

“Pleased to meet you too, Sky.” Spearmint replied. “Although I would have expected you to wear something for this visit.”

Sky was a bit confused. He never wore clothes unless he absolutely had to. “Was I… supposed to?” he asked.

“Oh no, it’s all right.” Spearmint said hastily. “Please come in.”

Lyra and Sky followed her into the house. Sky thought that Lyra’s mother seemed a bit uptight, but he thought it best not to say anything to Lyra.

Spearmint led Lyra and Sky into the living room, where Lyra’s father was seated. He had a light green coat and a long turquoise mane with a white streak on either side, much like his daughter. He was about the same height as Emerald Leaf, and had a long horn. His cutie mark was very similar to Lyra’s. “Hello and welcome!” he said with a smile. He got up from the couch and shook Sky’s hoof. “I’m Orpheus Heartstrings. You must be Sky Scraper.”

“Yep. That’s me.” Sky replied. “Nice to meet you, Orpheus.”

“You too, Sky.” said Orpheus. “Lyra told us a lot of good things about you. She said you were a talented up-and-coming architect looking for a job.”

Sky smiled modestly. “Well, I’m interested to hear about this extension you want to build, and I’d love to help you design it. Lyra told me all about that, too.” Sky found it easier to introduce himself to Orpheus, as he seemed much more friendly and relaxed than Spearmint.

“Before we tell you about the extension project, I’d like to see some of your previous work.” said Spearmint. “Just so we know what type of designer we’re talking to.”

“Sure thing.” Sky opened his saddlebag and pulled out the pictures of the buildings he’d designed in Manehattan. He laid them out on the coffee table. “These buildings are all in Manehattan.” he explained. “I spent most of my career there before moving to Ponyville last month.”

Orpheus and Spearmint looked over the pictures. “These are great!” Orpheus commented. “Your buildings are so shiny and clean, and they definitely stand out from the buildings around them. I think your style is exactly what we’re looking for!”

Sky grinned. “Really? Thank you!”

“It may be, but have you ever worked alongside Canterlot’s most famous designers?” Spearmint asked.

“I studied under some of them at the Canterlot School of Architecture, but that was about it.” Sky explained. “I always preferred to do my own thing rather than copy what the professor said. I was definitely the most creative pony in the class. I wouldn’t have minded staying in Canterlot, but there were more opportunities in Manehattan at the time, so I went there instead.”

“I see.” said Spearmint. “Well, in any case, Orpheus and I had better explain our plan for the extension.” She sat down on the couch next to Orpheus.

Lyra gave Sky a pat on the back. “You’re doing great!” she whispered. Sky smiled and nodded to her.

“All right, so you probably saw the big empty lot next to our house when you got here.” Orpheus chuckled. “The house next door burned down many years ago, and nopony’s built another house there since. Recently, Spearmint and I bought that big empty lot, and now we can build our extension on it.”

“How big do you want the extension to be?” Sky asked. He pulled out his notepad and pencil so that he could take notes.

“It’ll be pretty big.” Orpheus replied. “Hang on, I’ll get the floor plan.” He got up from the couch and went upstairs. He returned a couple minutes later with the floor plan for the current house, and set it down on the coffee table.

“We’re here right now.” Orpheus explained, pointing to the living room on the floor plan. “This big room at the back is the family room, next to the kitchen. When we build the extension, we’re going to take down the far wall and build out.”

“Dad, I think it’d be better if we actually went to the family room, so that Sky can see it.” Lyra suggested.

Orpheus laughed. “Oh, of course. Why didn’t I think of that? Follow me.” He took the floor plan and led Sky, Lyra and Spearmint out of the living room.

“This is a really nice house you have.” Sky remarked, admiring the elegant furnishings in the dining area and the kitchen.

“Thank you, Sky!” said Orpheus. “It’s an old house, but it’s stood the test of time.”

Soon they reached the family room. It was the largest room in the house, with shiny white walls and large clear windows. Orpheus and Spearmint sat down on one couch, while Sky and Lyra sat on the other.

“Anyway, the extension is going to be built that way.” Orpheus pointed to the far wall. Through the windows, Sky could see the big empty lot. It was nothing but grass.

“We want it to have four rooms.” Spearmint explained. “A sunroom, a game room, an extra bathroom, and an indoor pool, all on the first floor.”

Sky wrote everything down on his notepad. “Anything on the second floor?” he asked.

“We were thinking of adding a balcony.” Orpheus replied. “At the end of the hallway right above us.” He pointed to it on the floor plan.

“So that would be directly above the extension?” Sky asked.

“It’d be more of an L shape.” Spearmint replied. “Only part of it would be above the extension. The other half would stretch around the back and overlook the yard.”

“Um… okay.” said Sky. “That might be tricky to build, though, with the way this house is arranged.”

“We’re the clients.” Spearmint replied with a rather dismissive tone. “You’re supposed to design what we want. Surely you’ve designed balconies before.”

“Well, how about I just go out and survey the lot?” Sky suggested, trying not to be rude. “I’ll see how much space we have to work with.” He pulled his tape measure out of his saddlebag.

Orpheus nodded. “Of course.” He walked over to the back door and opened it for Sky. Sky thanked him and flew outside.

Sky flew higher up to get a better view of the empty lot. It was quite a bit smaller than the current house, but Sky had worked with tighter spaces before, so he figured it’d be okay. In order to add the balcony, the whole back of the house would probably have to be refurbished, which Sky had some doubts about.

Meanwhile, Lyra’s parents were debating whether to hire Sky. “This pony really has talent!” Orpheus lauded. “He’s young, smart, really creative, and he’s friends with Lyra. He’s the perfect fit for the job!”

“I’m not so sure.” Spearmint countered. “He never worked in Canterlot, and his style doesn’t fit with the popular architecture here. I told you we should have stuck with the established designers.”

Lyra sighed. “Mom, you’re being too harsh. I agree with Dad. Sky is an amazing architect, and he was listening to you and taking notes the whole time. You guys haven’t even hired him yet, and he’s already really passionate about helping you. I’d say he’s exactly the pony you want in charge of the extension.”

Spearmint thought for a while, then nodded. “All right, Lyra. You have a point. We’ll hire Sky Scraper. He’d better not disappoint, though.”

“Yay!” Lyra exclaimed.

“Well, that’s settled then.” said Orpheus. “I’ll get the paperwork for him to sign when he gets back.”

Having finished surveying the lot, Sky flew back into the family room. Lyra was waiting with a big smile on her face. “Guess what, Sky?” she said excitedly. “My parents have hired you! You just need to sign the paper and you’re good to go!”

“Really?” Sky exclaimed. “Already?”

Orpheus nodded. “Yes, sir!” He presented Sky with the paperwork and a pen. “Just sign your name here and it’s official.”

Sky took the pen and quickly signed his name on the dotted line. “Thank you so much!” he said with a grin. “I can’t wait to start work!”

“We’re glad to have you on board.” said Orpheus. “And since it’s after one o’clock, it wouldn’t be fair not to offer you lunch.”

“Thank you!” said Sky. “What’s on the menu?”

“How do smoked oatburgers sound?” Orpheus asked.

“Sounds good to me!” said Sky.

“Me too!” said Lyra. She turned to Sky. “My dad always makes the best oatburgers!”

Sky was thrilled to be working for Lyra’s parents. He now had the chance to spend a lot more time with Lyra, and he’d already made a great first impression on Orpheus. Spearmint seemed less enthusiastic about him, but he hoped that he could win her over soon. He was determined to not let Lyra or her parents down.

Chapter 5: When the Angels Play

On the same day that Lyra’s parents hired Sky, Emerald returned from his vacation in Vanhoover. The next morning, Sky and Emerald met up for breakfast at the Hay Burger.

“The waffles here are so good!” Sky said as he dug into his waffle sundae, a big Belgian waffle topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce. “I’m so glad I found this place!”

“It’s the best restaurant in Ponyville!” Emerald agreed. He had also gotten a waffle sundae. “Did you know the Hay Burger is a chain restaurant? I saw three of these in Vanhoover.”

“Really? Interesting!” Sky remarked. “I never saw any of them in Manehattan. Speaking of which, how was your vacation?”

“It was amazing!” said Emerald. “Vanhoover really is one of the most beautiful cities in Equestria. There are so many nice coastal parks and waterfront attractions. Tree Hugger and I explored the whole coast together, and we went up to the mountains for a day too.”

“Sounds like you had a great time!” said Sky. “I’ve never been to Vanhoover myself, but now I may have to go at some point. What was your favorite part of the trip?”

Emerald thought for a moment. “There was this one coastal park that was especially beautiful. It was a lush peninsula toward the south end of the city, full of huge flowering trees. There was a paved seawall path going around it, but the foliage was even better further inland. Tree Hugger and I spent almost a whole day exploring every part of the park. We even saw some native flowers that we’d never seen before!”

“Cool!” said Sky. “Coastal parks are the best.”

“They are!” Emerald agreed. “Anyway, how have you been this past week, while I was gone?”

Sky smiled. “I’ve been great! The day after you left, I had lunch with my cousin in Canterlot, which was really nice.”

“That does sound nice.” said Emerald. “What’s your cousin’s name?”

“Her name’s Sugarcoat.” Sky replied. “She’s my closest foalhood friend – well, actually, she’s my only remaining foalhood friend. She’s a straight-talking mare, but she’s always been so kind and supportive to me. I’m really lucky to have somepony like her in my life.”

Emerald nodded in agreement. “You definitely are. She lives in Canterlot, right?”

“That’s correct.” said Sky. “One of the best things about living in Ponyville is that I’m only a short train ride away from her. Now I can get together with her every week, just like old times!”

Emerald smiled. “Awesome! Speaking of mares, have you seen Lyra at all since the Ivory Estate tour?”

Sky grinned. “Yes! Sugarcoat and I actually ran into Lyra and Bon Bon that day. So I got a chance to talk to Lyra again. And then a few days later, Lyra wrote a letter to me saying that her parents needed an architect to design an extension to their house. So I went to Canterlot to visit them, and they hired me!”

“Wow! Good for you!” Emerald exclaimed. “I guess you’ll be spending a lot more time with her from now on!”

“Hopefully, yeah.” said Sky. “The extension is a smaller project than what I usually design, but it’s no less important.”

“Indeed!” said Emerald. “I’d say you have a really good chance with Lyra now!”

Sky smiled and nodded. “I’d say so too. She’s performing at the summer music show next week, and she invited me to come backstage with her!”

“Oh, that’s cool!” said Emerald. “I think you’ll really enjoy the music show. Tree Hugger and I go there every year, and I’m always amazed at how talented the Ponyville musicians are.”

“Then I take it you’re going again this year?” Sky asked.

“Of course!” said Emerald. “Do you want to meet up with us somewhere before the show?”

“Well, I would meet up with Lyra, but she’ll probably be busy preparing everything with the other musicians.” said Sky. “So yeah, that sounds good. Where do you want to meet up?”

“Since you live north of Ponyville, and we live south of Ponyville, how about we split the difference and meet at the town hall?” Emerald suggested.

“Sounds good to me!” said Sky. “I’m really looking forward to the show.”

At last, the day of the music show arrived. Just as planned, Sky met up with Emerald and Tree Hugger near the town hall. Since Sky hadn’t met Tree Hugger before, he spent most of the walk getting to know her.

“So you’re Emerald’s new friend?” Tree Hugger asked in a mellow, relaxed voice. She was a light green earth pony with lavender eyes and scarlet dreadlocks.

“Yep!” said Sky. “I moved to Ponyville a couple weeks ago. I’m an architect.”

Tree Hugger smiled. “Righteous! I really dig your vibe.”

“So what do you do?” Sky asked.

“I’m a member of the Equestrian Society for the Preservation of Rare Creatures.” Tree Hugger replied. “I meet all kinds of different creatures, each of them perfect and unique in their own way.”

“Sometimes I go with her on her expeditions.” said Emerald. “She really is amazing – she sees the world in a totally different way than anypony else.”

“All of the flora and fauna just, like, feel our groove, and they come to us.” Tree Hugger went on. “Especially our son, Sebastian.”

“Wait, you have a foal?” Sky asked in surprise.

“No, no.” Emerald replied. “Sebastian is a Zebrican giant millipede. We found him on a trip to Zebrica in the spring.”

“He totally dug our aura.” Tree Hugger explained. “He curled up on Emerald’s hoof, and we took him home with us. He’s just as warm and compassionate as any pony, and Emerald and I are proud to be his parents.”

“When I was a colt, I used to find millipedes in my backyard all the time.” Sky recalled. “I wanted to invite them into the house, but my mom wouldn’t let me!”

Emerald laughed. “Same! Millipedes are by far the best bugs! I wanted one for pretty much my whole life, but my parents never allowed it. The day I found Sebastian was a great day indeed.”

The three friends soon reached the outdoor theater where the music show would take place. They were clearly ahead of schedule, since the crowd was only partially full and the stage was still being set up.

“Looks like we’re early.” Sky remarked. “I wonder where Lyra is?”

“Probably backstage with the other musicians.” said Emerald. “You can look for her if you want. In the meantime, Tree Hugger and I will find seats and we’ll save a space for you.”

Sky smiled. “Sounds good! Thanks!” While Emerald and Tree Hugger headed up to the highest row and sat down, Sky trotted over to the stage. He found Lyra sitting and tuning her lyre.

“Hi, Lyra!” Sky said cheerfully. “I made it!”

Lyra grinned and jumped down from the stage. “Hi, Sky! I’m so glad you’re here! Since the show won’t be starting for a while, do you want to come backstage with me?”

“Sure!” said Sky. “I’d love that!”

“Awesome! Follow me!” Lyra led Sky up onto the stage and behind the curtain. As Sky admired the high ceiling and the inner workings of the curtain, a white unicorn mare with a spiky blue mane and pink tinted shades wheeled in a microphone and a large turntable. She lifted her shades to look at Sky.

“This is my friend Sky Scraper.” Lyra said to the white unicorn. “I’m giving him a backstage tour before the show starts. Sky, this is Vinyl Scratch, a.k.a. DJ Pon-3. She’s the emcee for the show.”

“THE DJ Pon-3?!” Sky exclaimed. Vinyl simply smiled and nodded.

“She lives in Ponyville with Octavia.” Lyra explained. “She’s emceed and performed at pretty much all of our shows.” She laughed. “She and Octavia are the only ponies I know whose house is split right down the middle!”

“Interesting!” said Sky. “Is she…”

“Mute? Nope!” Vinyl interjected. “I just prefer to let my wubs do the talking.”

“What are wubs?” Sky asked, rather confused. “Sorry, I’m not that familiar with musical terminology.”

“Wobble bass.” Vinyl replied. “Long bass notes. They make any song so much better!”

Sky chuckled. “Ah. Thanks. Well, it’s really cool to meet you. You must be one of the most famous ponies in Equestria.”

Vinyl smiled. “Not as famous as Sapphire Shores or Countess Coloratura, but I’m getting there! If you want to meet Octavia and the guys, I think they’re still in the green room.” She pointed to a door at the back corner of the stage.

Sky nodded and followed Lyra to the back of the stage. Lyra opened the door and led Sky into a small hallway with two more doors. “The green room is the one on the right.” said Lyra. “The room on the left is the dressing room, but that’s only used for plays.” Lyra opened the door on the right to reveal a cozy room with several upholstered chairs and sofas. Three more musicians were there, talking to one another and tuning their instruments.

“Hello, Lyra!” said a gray earth pony mare. She was holding a cello and spoke with a sophisticated English accent. Her cutie mark was a purple treble clef. “Brought a new friend, I see?”

“Yep!” said Lyra. “This is Sky Scraper. He just moved to Ponyville a couple weeks ago. I met him during a tour of the Ivory Estate.”

“I’m an architect.” Sky went on. “I used to design buildings in Manehattan, but right now I’m helping Lyra’s parents extend and renovate their house.”

“Oh, very nice!” the gray mare remarked with a smile. “My name is Octavia Melody. I play the cello, the second-largest instrument of the violin family. Lyra and I are very good friends, and we’ve collaborated on numerous occasions! A pleasure to meet you, Sky!”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Octavia.” Sky replied. “I heard you live with DJ Pon-3.”

“Oh, yes!” said Octavia. “Being her roommate is an… interesting experience to say the least. Her style of music is the exact opposite of mine, yet we can play together in perfect harmony!”

Sky chuckled. “Well, you know what they say. Opposites attract!”

“Quite so!” Octavia agreed.

The other two musicians in the room were a pair of earth pony stallions. “So you’re an architect?” said one. He had a purplish-gray coat, a neatly combed white mane, and a cutie mark of two white treble clefs. “Nice! My aunt’s an architect too.” He smiled and reached out to shake Sky’s hoof. “I’m Royal Riff. I play the trombone. Nice to meet you, man!”

“You too!” Sky said as he shook Royal’s hoof. “I’m guessing you’re a jazz musician?”

“That’s right.” said the other stallion. He had a light indigo coat, a spiky navy blue mane, and a cutie mark of two pairs of eighth notes. “He and I both are. Noteworthy’s my name, and the saxophone is my game. I’ve been belting out smooth tunes on it ever since I was a colt. The other instruments are nice, but the sax steals the show!”

“Note and Royal make a great team.” said Lyra. “They’re our very own two-pony jazz band!”

“But you can thank me for the songs.” said Noteworthy. “Writing them just comes naturally to me, you know?”

Sky thought Noteworthy seemed a bit full of himself.

Octavia looked up at the clock. “Goodness me!” she exclaimed. “The show’s due to start in a few minutes, and I’m to be the first one performing! I must get out to the stage!” She picked up her cello and hurried out of the green room.

“Well, I guess that’s my cue to leave.” said Sky. He turned to Lyra. “Thank you for letting me come backstage with you!”

Lyra smiled. “No problem, Sky.”

“And it was nice meeting all the ponies involved with the show!” Sky went on. Royal Riff smiled and waved to Sky.

Sky turned back to Lyra. “Good luck with the show.” he said kindly and sincerely. “I’m sure you’ll amaze everypony.”

Lyra blushed lightly. “Thank you, Sky. I’ll see you again after the show?”

“Of course.” said Sky. He waved goodbye to Lyra, then headed out of the green room and back to the crowd.

Sky found Emerald and Tree Hugger in the highest row of seats. Just as Emerald had promised, he’d saved a seat for Sky. “How was your backstage tour?” Emerald asked.

“It was great!” Sky replied. “I got to meet all the musicians in the show, including DJ Pon-3!”

Emerald gasped. “DJ Pon-3 is here?! Holy Celestia, this show is going to be awesome!”

“Blessings to her and to all the other music ponies.” said Tree Hugger. “The aura of this place is so alive!”

The curtain opened, and Vinyl Scratch came out onto the stage. “Well, it’s about to start!” said Sky. “I’m so excited!”

“Good afternoon, everypony!” Vinyl boomed. “It is I, the one and only DJ Pon-3! And here to start things off is my wonderful roommate, and the best cellist in Equestria. Give it up for Octavia Melody!”

Octavia took to the stage with her cello, and the curtain closed again. “Ladies and gentlecolts, I am honored to perform for you a new cello piece that’s been in the works for the past month.” said Octavia. “I hope you enjoy Manetreal Nights.” She signaled to Vinyl to start the turntable. Vinyl nodded and put her headphones on.

Octavia proceeded to play a wonderful cello sonata, accompanied by Vinyl’s gentle beats. Sky thought that Octavia had chosen a fitting title. He had gone to Manetreal with his parents a few years ago, and had loved every minute of the trip. As Sky listened to Octavia’s music, all the great memories of the week he spent in Manetreal came flooding back to him.

When Octavia finished her performance, she took a bow and everypony in the audience clapped and cheered for her. She disappeared behind the curtain, and Vinyl got ready to announce the next performer.

“Tavi is one talented pony, isn’t she?” Vinyl said with a smile. “And so is our next musician. Her music is sure to tug at your heartstrings!” She paused. “Pun intended.”

Sky was now extremely excited. Vinyl’s pun could only mean one thing – Lyra was about to come onto the stage. Sky couldn’t wait to see the most beautiful mare he’d ever known perform in front of him.

The curtain opened again, and Lyra stepped onto the stage. With her magic, she levitated her golden lyre in the air. Like her beautiful eyes, her magic aura was a lovely shade of brilliant gold. “Hi, everypony.” she said. “Last month, I wrote a new lyre solo to capture the essence and meaning of summer, my favorite time of the year. Today I’m performing it for the first time. I hope you enjoy Sweet Summer Angels.” She took a deep breath and began to play.

The sound of Lyra magically playing her lyre was, without a doubt, the most beautiful sound that Sky had ever heard in his life. Although the lyre was a relatively quiet instrument, Sky found himself completely mesmerized by it. He blocked out all the other sights and sounds around him, giving his undivided attention to the most beautiful mare playing the most beautiful instrument. The sweet, soothing melody gave Sky a vision of being on a warm sunny beach with Lyra. He could almost feel the cool ocean water washing over his hooves, and Lyra’s nice soft fur brushing up against him. When Lyra finished her performance, Sky applauded far longer and louder than anypony else in the audience.

“I guess you really loved that one?” Emerald chuckled.

“It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard.” Sky said dreamily.

The next performance was a swinging jazz duet by Noteworthy and Royal Riff. Sky preferred string instruments over brass instruments, but enjoyed the catchy jazz rhythm nonetheless. The rest of the show consisted of more collaborative performances between various musicians, all accompanied by Vinyl’s beats. Sky got to see Lyra perform three more times during the show, twice alongside Octavia and once alongside Noteworthy. Between performances, Bon Bon went through the crowd and offered her homemade chocolate truffles as snacks. Sky found that Bon Bon was an amazing confectioner, and they both agreed that Lyra was the best musician in Ponyville.

For the show’s grand finale, all five musicians came together to play an orchestral rendition of the Equestrian national anthem. At the end, the musicians took their final bow, and everypony in the audience cheered for them. While everypony else began filing out of the stands and toward the exit, Sky flew over the crowd to the stage, where he found Lyra talking and packing up with Octavia.

“Lyra, you are the BEST!!!” Sky exclaimed. “Your song was AMAZING!”

Lyra smiled and blushed. “Thank you, Sky.” she said sweetly. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“I loved it!” Sky replied. “Sweet Summer Angels is my new favorite song! It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard!”

“I wasn’t expecting to get that level of praise,” Lyra giggled, “but if you love it that much, I’m honored!”

Sky then turned to Octavia. “You were amazing too!” he said. “Both on your own and in your collabs with Lyra!”

“Why, thank you.” Octavia said with a smile. “Lyra and I have been working together for quite a long time. Ever since we were teenagers, actually.”

“We met not too long after I moved to Ponyville.” Lyra recalled. “We were both performing in a music show – me with my lyre, and Octavia with her cello. We met up after the show, and just like that we were friends!”

Just then, Noteworthy arrived holding his saxophone case. “And that’s a wrap on another perfect show!” he said loftily. “Not gonna lie, I don’t think I’ve ever played better!”

Lyra nodded. “You were great out there! That collab we did was a lot of fun!”

“Everything’s more fun with me and my sax!” Noteworthy laughed. “And it goes especially well with a nice gentle lyre.”

“That’s true!” Lyra giggled.

Sky rolled his eyes. Noteworthy was definitely too boastful for his liking.

“Do you have any plans for after the show?” Sky asked Lyra.

“Bon Bon, Octavia, Vinyl and I were going to have dinner at the Ponyville Cafe.” Lyra replied. “It’s been a while since we all went out together.”

Sky thought for a moment. “Well, um… do you mind if I join?”

Lyra smiled. “Of course I don’t mind! I’ll go find Vinyl and Bon Bon, and then we can all go!”

“Great!” said Sky. “Thanks for letting me come with you!” While Lyra and Octavia went backstage, Sky flew off to tell Emerald about his plan. As he left the stage, he thought he saw Noteworthy giving a dirty look, but he thought nothing of it and quickly made his way to the end of the stands, where Emerald and Tree Hugger were waiting for the crowd to dissipate.

“Hey, Emerald!” said Sky. “Just so you know, I’m going out to dinner with Lyra and some of her friends.”

“Oh, nice!” Emerald replied. “That sounds good! Tree Hugger and I were going to have a romantic dinner at home ourselves.”

“That sounds good too!” said Sky. “Anyway, I guess I’ll see you later.”

“You too!” said Emerald. “Have fun!” Emerald and Sky exchanged a hoof-bump, and Sky flew back to rejoin Lyra and her friends.

Chapter 7: Seeking Support

When Sky woke up the next morning, he was still feeling frustrated and disappointed. The weather outside was dull and overcast, which fit his mood perfectly. He poured himself a small bowl of cereal for breakfast, and flopped down on his couch. He considered just spending the day alone indoors, but then realized that brooding by himself was only going to make him feel worse. So after brushing his teeth and combing his mane, he decided to visit Emerald.

Sky figured that since Emerald had a marefriend, maybe he could offer some romantic advice. It took Sky about half an hour to fly across Ponyville, and he eventually landed on the bridge leading into the Everfree forest. It then struck him that although he knew Emerald and Tree Hugger lived in the forest, he didn’t know exactly where in the forest their cottage was located, or how far back the forest actually went.

“Well, this will be difficult.” he said to himself. “I’m not scared, though. I’ll just stick to the main path until I see a cottage. How many cottages could be in here, anyway?” He walked slowly across the bridge and into the dark forest.

Although the big trees blocked out most of the light from above, Sky could still see the main dirt path that winded through the forest. As he walked along, he thought he saw several pairs of spooky yellow eyes in the undergrowth. He sighed heavily, extended his right wing and flipped them his middle feather. The eyes immediately disappeared.

After following the path for about three miles, Sky spotted a small stone cottage between two tall trees. He looked closely at it and saw that a green leaf and a red heart-shaped tree were painted on the door. Sky recognized those symbols as Emerald and Tree Hugger’s cutie marks, and figured this must be their place. He walked up to the cottage and knocked on the door.

Emerald answered the door, and was pleasantly surprised to see Sky. “Hi, Sky!” he said. “Good to see you! What’s up?”

“I’m not doing so well right now.” Sky admitted. “I had a pretty rough day yesterday, and I could use some romantic advice.”

Emerald nodded sympathetically. “I’m sorry to hear that. Come on in. I’m sure Tree Hugger and I can help you feel better.”

Sky followed Emerald into the cottage and sat down next to him on the couch. “Your cottage is nice and cozy.” Sky remarked. “I like it here.”

“Thank you! I’m glad you like it.” said Emerald. “Tree Hugger and I were lucky to find it. Not too many other ponies live out here.”

Tree Hugger came into the living room, holding a long black millipede in her hoof. “Is that Sebastian?” Sky asked.

“It sure is!” Tree Hugger replied. She held Sebastian in front of Sky.

“He’s the biggest millipede I’ve ever seen.” Sky remarked. “How long is he?”

“Nine inches from head to tail.” said Tree Hugger. “He’s a big boy, but he’s totally chill! Do you want to hold him?”

Sky smiled. “Sure!” He extended his hoof, and Tree Hugger gently placed Sebastian on it. Soon, Sebastian was crawling all over Sky’s leg. Sky laughed as Sebastian’s many small legs tickled his fur. He was beginning to feel a bit better.

“So, what happened yesterday?” Emerald asked.

Sky sighed. “It started when I ran into Noteworthy on the train. You know, the saxophone player from the music show?”

“Yeah, I remember him.” said Emerald. “I only saw him on the stage, though. I never talked to him. What did he do?”

“He sat down next to me and acted friendly at first, but then he told me he was interested in Lyra too.” Sky explained. “He said that Lyra wasn’t truly interested in being my friend, and that a loner like me had nothing to offer her. I’m worried that he might be right. I mean, an architect and a musician don’t really have that much in common. Maybe Lyra isn’t such a good match for me after all.”

“Noteworthy sounds like a real jerk.” Emerald said firmly. “And he hardly even knows you. You shouldn’t let somepony like that get into your head and ruin something you enjoy.”

“Surround yourself with nice ponies who give you positive energy, not toxic ponies who bum you out.” added Tree Hugger.

“Besides, if Noteworthy really thought you had no chance with Lyra, he wouldn’t have bothered putting you down in the first place.” Emerald continued.

Sky shrugged. “I guess so, but it didn’t end there. Noteworthy got into my head, and ruined the rest of my day too. I was so awkward when I met Lyra’s sister for the first time, and then I just left as soon as Lyra’s parents started arguing. Now I’ve left a bad impression on her entire family, and probably ruined her opinion of me too.”

“I think the problem is that you’re too hard on yourself.” said Emerald. “What Noteworthy said about you isn’t true, and one bad day isn’t going to destroy your friendship with Lyra. You and her get along really well, so maybe it’s time for you to take the next step.”

Sky was surprised. “You mean… ask her out?”

Emerald smiled and nodded. “Of course! As I said before, I think you’ve got a good chance. If Lyra wrote to you as soon as her parents needed an architect, and invited you backstage at her music show, then she definitely likes spending time with you!”

“But I’ve only known her for a month.” Sky said doubtfully. “This might be too soon to ask her out. What if I end up scaring her away?”

“Chill, dude!” Tree Hugger chimed in, sensing that Sky was stressing himself out. “Breathe deep. Seek peace.”

Sky took a deep breath, then giggled as he felt Sebastian’s legs on his chest. He looked down and saw the giant millipede moving across his chest to his other leg. “Almost forgot about you there, buddy.” he chuckled.

Emerald grinned. “I’m glad you and Sebas are getting along so well. But anyway, a month is not too soon to ask somepony out. Tree Hugger asked me out just two weeks after I met her.”

“Really?” Sky asked. “Wow!”

Tree Hugger nodded. “As soon as Emerald and I met, I could tell he really dug my vibes, but I don’t think he knew that I dug his just as much.”

“I was very shy and insecure back then.” Emerald recalled. “Tree Hugger was the most beautiful and understanding mare I’d ever met, but I thought there was no chance that she would like me back.”

“So on our last day in the White Tail Woods together, I surprised him by inviting him out to dinner at a nice outdoor cafe.” Tree Hugger said with a wink.

“It was the best surprise I ever got!” said Emerald. “There I was, worrying that she would reject me if I asked her, but instead she asked me first! We spent a warm spring night together at the cafe, and we just progressed from there.”

“So if Lyra digs your aura as much as Emerald says she does, then I’m sure you’ll do just fine.” Tree Hugger said to Sky. “And who knows, maybe she’ll surprise you just like I surprised Emerald. Either way, you have my blessings.”

“And mine too, of course!” Emerald added.

Sky was now feeling better. He glanced up at the old wooden clock on the wall and saw that it was a quarter to noon. “I’d love to stick around, but I’m meeting Sugarcoat for lunch again at noon.” Sky explained. “Thanks for helping me feel better, and for letting me hang out with Sebastian.” He smiled as he picked up Sebastian and gently handed him back to Tree Hugger.

“No problem!” said Emerald. “We’re always willing to help a friend in need.” Tree Hugger nodded in agreement.

Sky waved goodbye to Emerald and Tree Hugger, and headed out of the cottage feeling much better than when he walked in. He looked forward to lunch with Sugarcoat, and knew that spending time with her would make him feel even better.

Since Sky moved to Ponyville, he and Sugarcoat had lunch together once or twice each week. Today, instead of Sky going to Canterlot, Sugarcoat came to Ponyville, and they met up at the Ponyville Cafe.

“My week was pretty boring.” Sugarcoat remarked. “Too much paperwork, not enough actual deliveries. I hope your week was more interesting than mine.”

“Well, I guess you could say it was.” Sky said thoughtfully. “A few days ago, I went to this music show that Lyra and the other Ponyville musicians were doing, and it was amazing. Lyra’s music was my favorite, of course. She also gave me a backstage tour before the show started.”

“That sounds pretty nice!” said Sugarcoat. “I’m glad to hear you’ve become good friends with Lyra.”

Sky nodded. “Me too, she’s a really fun pony to hang out with! Things hit a rough patch yesterday, though.”

Sugarcoat raised an eyebrow. “What happened? Was it you or her?”

“It was me.” Sky conceded. He told Sugarcoat about his encounter with Noteworthy, and how it ruined his visit with Lyra’s parents. “I’m feeling better after I talked to Emerald and his marefriend about it, but I’m still worried that I made a bad impression on Lyra’s family.” he finished.

Sugarcoat rolled her eyes. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – you’re way too hard on yourself, Sky. Every time you make one little mistake, you carry it with you for the whole day and make yourself miserable. One bad day isn’t going to ruin Lyra’s opinion of you. As for her family, so what? You’ll have more chances to make a better impression, and besides, it’s not like you’re trying to be super close friends with them anyway. If I were you, I’d just go for it. Ask Lyra out.”

Sky nodded. “I guess you’re right. I’ll just need to work up enough confidence to ask her.”

“What do you mean, work up the confidence?” Sugarcoat asked rhetorically. “If Lyra enjoys your company as much as she seems to, she’ll most likely say yes. From what you’ve told me, I’d say you have nothing to be worried about. Mares aren’t as difficult to reach as you might think.”

“That’s a good point.” said Sky. “In any case, I’d better ask her before Noteworthy tries anything.”

“Noteworthy is irrelevant.” Sugarcoat said firmly. “He’s a useless blowhard who doesn’t even know you. Stallions who talk trash like that only make fools of themselves.”

“What’s that about me?” snapped a familiar voice. Noteworthy happened to have entered the cafe just then, and sauntered over to Sugarcoat. “I don’t like ponies who badmouth others behind their backs. So what’s going on here?”

Sugarcoat was completely unfazed. “I said you’re a useless blowhard who doesn’t even know Sky. You talk a lot of trash, but you only make a fool of yourself.”

Noteworthy snickered, then turned his attention to Sky. “Oh, hello again, Sky.” he sneered. “You’re so mediocre that I didn’t even notice you there. Anyway, it looks like you’re already with another mare, and not a very pleasant one at that. Looks like I’ll have Lyra all to myself!”

“I’m his cousin, you idiot.” Sugarcoat retorted. “Not his marefriend.”

Noteworthy turned back to Sky. “Seriously? Wow, you really are pathetic! You can’t even get a mare that isn’t related to you!”

“And remind me again, how many mares are you with?” Sugarcoat asked knowingly. “If you’re pursuing Lyra, then you’re either single or a cheater. And if you’re the latter, then you’re a useless piece of trash that no decent mare will ever want to have.”

Noteworthy laughed again and pointed to Sky. “Your cousin can stroke your ego as much as she wants, but you watch this space. Soon Lyra and I will be spending all our time together, while you’ll be lonely, miserable and out of a job.”

“You know, if you’ve been interested in Lyra for years, and you still haven’t made a move on her, then that’s just sad.” said Sugarcoat. “Sky just met Lyra last month, and she already likes him better than you. Therefore, all of your arguments are completely invalid.”

Noteworthy tried to think of a comeback, but he had nothing. “Silence?” Sugarcoat asked. “Good. Your overinflated ego is no match for my logic.”

“Well… this isn’t over!” Noteworthy spluttered. He turned and stormed out of the cafe.

Sky grinned and gave Sugarcoat a big hug. “Thank you so much, Sugar!” he exclaimed. “You sure shut him up!”

“No problem, Sky.” Sugarcoat said warmly. “I’d do anything for my favorite cousin. You definitely don’t have to worry about that loser now!”

When they’d finished their lunch, Sky and Sugarcoat walked out of the cafe together and saw that the gray clouds from earlier in the day were now dissipating. “Looks like the weather’s clearing up!” Sky remarked.

“It sure is!” Sugarcoat agreed. “Since the weather’s nicer now, could you take me to the lake near your house? I’ve wanted to see it ever since you moved here.”

“Of course I can!” Sky said with a smile. “I’m sure you’ll love it. It’s really big and there’s basically no pollution.”

“Great!” said Sugarcoat. “Lead the way!”

So the two pegasi spread their wings, and Sky led Sugarcoat to the north end of Ponyville. It wasn’t long before they arrived at the lake. The water was calm, and Sky and Sugarcoat could see their reflections shimmering on the clear blue surface.

Sugarcoat was most impressed. “This is amazing!” she said. “And to think this is the view you get every day… you sure picked the right place to buy a house!”

“I’m glad you like it!” said Sky. “I remember the first time I saw it. I couldn’t believe how lucky I’d gotten, and I couldn’t believe that my house’s previous owner would want to move away from it!”

“Well, their loss was your gain!” Sugarcoat chuckled. “Speaking of which, I’ll race you. One lap around the lake. Let’s go!” And Sugarcoat suddenly took off like a rocket.

“Hey!” Sky laughed. “Come back here!” He flapped his wings rapidly and raced after his cousin.

Sugarcoat was flying around the lake at quite some speed. She didn’t look like an athletic pony, but she had always been a very fast flier. So was Sky. About halfway around the lake, Sky drew alongside. “Look out, Sugar!” he chortled. “Here I come!”

“Oh no, you don’t!” Sugarcoat tittered. She increased her speed and pulled ahead again. Sky followed suit, and the pair of them were neck-and-neck as they raced around the east side of the lake. They eventually made it back to their starting point and landed on the ground at the exact same moment, breathing heavily.

“Tie?” Sky panted.

Sugarcoat nodded wearily. “I think so, yeah. Good race.”

Sky and Sugarcoat exchanged a gentle hoofbump, and then laid down in the grass together. “I could fall asleep here.” Sugarcoat sighed.

“Me too.” Sky agreed. “You and me together, just like old times.”

Chapter 8: A Clear Summer's Night

It was another sunny morning in Ponyville, and Lyra and Bon Bon were taking a walk in the park together. “This is the life, isn’t it, Lyra?” Bon Bon said with a smile. “The sun is shining, and there’s just enough breeze to keep us cool and blow the clouds away.”

“And it’s even better with my best friend by my side.” said Lyra. “Our morning walks are my favorite time of the week!”

Bon Bon smiled cheekily. “Oh, nice! That’s a surprise. I thought your favorite time of the week would be any time you see Sky!”

Lyra blushed. “Well… I haven’t known him nearly as long as I’ve known you. He may be a nice handsome stallion, but you’re still my best friend!”

Bon Bon chuckled. “Well, that’s a relief. For a minute there, I thought you were about to ditch me for him!”

“Don’t worry, Bonnie, I won’t do that.” Lyra said, patting Bon Bon on the back. “I can have more than one friend, you know! But speaking of Sky… I’m still worried about him. Ever since that awkward visit to my parents a few days ago, I’ve been feeling like there’s something bothering him that he hasn’t told me about.”

“I’m with you on that one.” Bon Bon agreed. “You should reach out to him and ask him. As a friend.”

“Definitely.” said Lyra. “I’ll write a letter to him when I get home.”

Near the park’s central fountain, Lyra and Bon Bon spotted a blue pegasus sitting upright on a bench, reading a book. “Well, speak of the devil!” Lyra exclaimed. “I think that’s him right over there!”

“I guess this is definitely your favorite time of the week now!” Bon Bon laughed. “Go over and talk to him!”

Lyra decided to surprise Sky. She walked over quietly and sat down next to him on the bench. “Good morning, Sky!” she said cheerfully.

Sky looked up from his book and saw Lyra sitting next to him. “Oh, hi, Lyra!” he said with a smile. “Wasn’t expecting to see you here!”

Lyra giggled. “Just thought I’d surprise you, that’s all. How are you doing?”

Sky thought for a moment. “I’m feeling better than when I visited your parents the other day. You’re not mad at me for that, are you?”

“Of course I’m not!” said Lyra. “I was worried about you. It seemed like there was something bothering you that day.”

“Well… yes, there was.” Sky began. He considered telling Lyra about Noteworthy, but quickly decided that he didn’t want to sound possessive or jealous. “But I don’t really want to talk about it. Not right now, anyway.”

“Um… okay.” said Lyra. “I’m glad you’re feeling better now.”

“Thanks, Lyra.” said Sky. “I talked with Emerald and Sugarcoat the day after, and they were both able to cheer me up. But, um… your parents and sister aren’t mad at me, are they?”

“Don’t worry about it, Sky.” Lyra said kindly. “Nopony’s mad at you. You didn’t hurt anypony. You were just tired and having a tough day. That happens to everypony.”

“I know that.” said Sky. “I was just worried that I’d made a bad impression on them.”

“You were a little awkward, but you weren’t rude or anything.” said Lyra. “I can assure you that my dad is very happy to have you on board with the project. My mom hasn’t quite warmed up to you yet, but once the project really begins, I’m sure you’ll win her over. As for my little sister...” Lyra thought for a moment, then laughed. “…who cares what she thinks, anyway! You won’t see her around much. She only visits my parents a couple times a year.”

“Ah, okay.” Sky said, feeling relieved. “That’s good to hear. Anyway, how have you been?”

“I’ve been all right.” Lyra replied. “Bon Bon and I were taking a walk through the park this morning. We were actually talking about you just before I saw you!”

Sky blushed. “Really? What were you two saying about me?”

“Lyra was worried about you.” Bon Bon said as she sat down on the other side of Sky. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better now. Say, I just noticed that you and Lyra sit the exact same way!”

Sky looked over to Lyra and noticed that she was sitting upright on the bench, just like him. In contrast, Bon Bon was curled up on all fours. “Oh, yeah! I guess we do!”

“Before I met Lyra, I’d never seen anypony sit upright like that.” Bon Bon recalled. “I tried it, but it felt too awkward.”

“You know, I don’t understand why more ponies don’t sit this way.” Sky remarked. “This is a lot more comfortable. Crouching on all fours hurts my back.”

“Same here!” Lyra agreed. “I first started sitting like this after I read my first anthropology book. Apparently this is the way humans normally sit. I’m such an anthropology nerd – I could go on about it forever!”

“Nice!” said Sky. “I took an anthropology class one year when I was in school. It was pretty interesting.”

“Well, yeah!” said Lyra. “There’s just so much we don’t know. Were there once humans in Equestria, and will they return some day? Personally, I say yes to both!”

“To be honest, I don’t really know what to think about it.” said Sky. “I’ve never really thought about it other than when I was taking the class, I guess.”

“If you’re ever interested, I could teach you about it.” Lyra offered. “It’s my main interest outside of my musical career.”

“That sounds great!” Sky said with a smile. “If you’re interested in it, I’d love to learn more about it.” He then remembered how both Emerald and Sugarcoat had encouraged him to take the next step. “I’d also love to spend more time talking to you one-on-one. Do you want to… go out for dinner tonight? The two of us, together?”

Lyra blushed, then smiled. “Of course, Sky! That sounds wonderful! I’d love to have dinner with you! Which restaurant would you like to go to?”

“How about the Ponyville Cafe?” Sky suggested. “I usually go there for lunch, but the dinner menu is really good too.”

“Sure!” said Lyra. “I was actually thinking of that place before you suggested it.”

“Perfect!” said Sky. “See you there at… seven o’clock tonight, then?”

“Yes, indeed!” Lyra replied. “Bon Bon and I have to get going now, though. See you tonight, Sky!”

“You too, Lyra!” Sky said as Lyra and Bon Bon got up from the bench and continued on their way. Sky smiled to himself. Just a few days ago, he had thought Lyra wouldn’t want to be friends with him anymore, and now he had a date with her. The advice he’d gotten from Emerald and Sugarcoat had been spot-on, and he was excited for what his evening with Lyra would bring.

Meanwhile, Bon Bon was teasing Lyra as they continued on their walk. “I just told you to check on how he was doing.” Bon Bon chuckled. “I wasn’t expecting you two to set up a date!”

“I wasn’t expecting it either!” Lyra agreed. “It was a nice surprise, though.”

Bon Bon gave Lyra a playful nudge. “Well, now I know you both like each other!” she teased.

“We’ll wait and see!” Lyra laughed. But just like Sky, she was excited for the evening. And Bon Bon was happy for her best friend.

At a quarter to seven that evening, Sky brushed his teeth and combed his mane one more time in preparation for the date. He then exited his house and glided over the lake. The air was warm, the sky was clear, and the water was calm.

Since it was high summer, it was still light outside, and many ponies were walking together on the dirt streets. Sky smiled as he flew high above them, through the warm air and beneath the blue sky. Inwardly, he felt a bit nervous, but he reassured himself that it was perfectly normal. After all, this wasn’t just his first date with Lyra, but also his first date with any mare. He’d been interested in two other mares while he was living in Manehattan, but he’d been rejected by both of them.

Eventually, Sky spotted the Ponyville Cafe on the ground below. He began to gradually descend, landing just outside the outdoor dining area. He looked up at the clock tower in the distance, and saw that the time was 6:55. He sat down at the first table and waited for Lyra to arrive.

Within a minute, Sky spotted Lyra trotting down the road. He waved to Lyra, and she waved back and began trotting faster. “Good evening, Sky!” she said cheerfully when she arrived. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

Sky smiled. “Nope! I only got here a minute ago. And since the seating here is free, I figured I’d get a table and save a seat for you.”

“Thanks, Sky.” Lyra said as she sat down across from him. “I guess you and I both had the same idea. This evening is too nice to not be outside.”

“Well, I’ve always liked outdoor dining.” said Sky. “Especially on a light summer evening like this.”

Just then, a well-dressed tan unicorn stallion with a slicked-back dark green mane and a small mustache came out of the cafe building. He noticed the two new cafe patrons, and came over to Sky and Lyra’s table. “Good evening, fine ponies!” he said in a cheerful English accent. “My name is Montgomery and I will be your waiter tonight. May I get you anything to drink on this fine occasion? We’ve recently received fresh barrels of white grape juice from the Grape family’s vineyard out west.”

“Well then, I’d like some grape juice!” said Lyra.

“Make it two!” Sky agreed.

“Excellent choice!” Montgomery said with a smile. He placed a pair of menus on the table. “You may peruse our dinner menu while I get your juice. Cheerio!” He turned and walked back inside.

Sky began to flip through the menu. It was quite extensive, and Sky couldn’t decide what to order. He’d gone to dinner here the week before, but he couldn’t seem to remember what he’d eaten that night. “I can’t decide what to order.” he finally said to Lyra. “Do you have any recommendations?”

“How about the hay ravioli?” Lyra suggested. “That’s what I’m ordering. I think you got that the last time we had dinner here, too.”

“Oh, yes.” Sky chuckled nervously, now remembering what he’d ordered last week. “Good idea. I’ll get that too.”

Montgomery returned with two glasses of white grape juice. “Here you are, my friends! Fresh white grape juice straight from the vineyard! I hope you enjoy! Now then, what delectable dinner entree may I serve you tonight?”

“We’ll both have the hay ravioli.” Lyra said with a smile.

“Excellent choice once again!” said Montgomery. “Two plates of hay ravioli will be here in a jiffy. Ta-ta!” He walked briskly into the cafe building again.

Lyra took a sip of juice from her glass. “This juice is really good!” she remarked. “It’s cold and refreshing, and it’s sweet but not too sweet.”

Sky nodded in agreement as he began drinking his. “I’ll have to be careful not to drink all of it before the food gets here!” he laughed.

“If you do, you can always ask for a refill.” Lyra chuckled. “Anyway, Sky, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” said Sky. “You can ask me anything.”

Lyra thought for a moment. “Well, you already know my family and I’ve told you about my experiences growing up in Canterlot, but you haven’t told me much about your family or what it was like growing up in Manebridge.”

“Then I’ll tell you now.” Sky said with a smile. “Manebridge is a nice little town, and my parents still live there. It’s northeast of Manehattan, so it can get pretty cold in the winter. But the rest of the seasons there are nice and temperate. I usually visit in the spring and summer.”

“It sounds like a nice place to live.” said Lyra. “What’s your family like?”

“I don’t have any siblings.” Sky explained. “Sugarcoat is my only relative who’s around the same age as me. She lived only a few towns west of Manebridge, so we were able to hang out a lot when we were foals. When I moved to Manehattan, spending time with her was the thing I missed most.”

“That’s really sweet.” Lyra said warmly. “I’m happy for you that you live near her again. All of my cousins are scattered around different parts of Equestria, so I don’t see them very much.”

“Apart from Sugarcoat, it’s the same with my family.” said Sky. “My dad, Air Raider, and his brother Silver Bullet, who’s Sugarcoat’s dad, are the only ones who live near each other these days.”

“What does your dad do for a living?” Lyra asked.

“He was a guard pony when he was younger, but now he programs computers.” Sky replied. “He’s probably one of the only ponies in Equestria who knows how to do that. My mom, Evening Shade, used to be a weather control pony but stayed home to take care of me when I was a colt. She went to work at the cloud factory in Cloudsdale after I moved out.”

“You’re lucky that she was willing to stay home with you for so many years.” said Lyra. “My dad was constantly traveling and performing around Equestria, and my mom’s job at the tea company was really time-consuming, so most of the time I was home alone, watching out for my sister.”

“I am really lucky.” Sky agreed. “Even if my mom got annoying sometimes, as all parents do, I’ll always be thankful for her.”

At that moment, Montgomery arrived with two steaming plates of hay ravioli with pasta sauce. “Here is your dinner, my fine friends!” He placed one plate in front of Lyra, and the other in front of Sky.

“Thank you!” said Lyra.

“Very fast service, too!” said Sky.

“Oh, no problem!” Montgomery said with a smile. “I’m often fashionably late to parties, but when it comes to customers at the cafe, I’m always right on the ball! The ravioli is fresh from the kitchen and rather hot, so please be careful. But I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!” Montgomery took a bow and headed off to greet some other ponies.

“I have to say, our waiter tonight is very friendly.” Sky remarked.

Lyra nodded in agreement. “He’s the most enthusiastic waiter I’ve ever had. The staff here are all really nice, but I think Montgomery is the best!”

“Indeed.” said Sky. “Anyway, can you tell me the story of how you got your cutie mark? Everypony seems to have such a great story about it.”

“Of course!” said Lyra. She then began her story. “When I was very young, my dad used to play his lyre for me all the time. I was fascinated by it, and wanted to learn how to play it as well as he did. When I got into the School for Gifted Unicorns, he taught me how to play the lyre with magic rather than hooves. It took me a while to fully master the spell, but I eventually got the hang of it, and my dad began teaching me some of his favorite songs. Two years later, the school hosted a talent show for all the students to show off their unique skills. Some of my friends had already gotten their cutie marks, but I was still a blank flank, so I was nervous about playing my lyre in front of a large crowd. Before that, I’d only ever performed in front of my family. The fillies who already had their cutie marks went first, and then it was my turn. I was sweating as I walked out onto the stage, but when I closed my eyes and began playing my favorite symphony, all of my anxiety was washed away. I became one with my lyre, and my lyre became one with me. When I finished my performance, everypony in the audience cheered, and then my flank suddenly started glowing. My cutie mark had appeared!” Lyra beamed as she remembered that glorious moment.

While Lyra was telling her story, Sky had cleared half his plate of ravioli. “That was a beautiful story.” he said wholeheartedly. “You put so much time, love and care into your music back then, and you put in just as much now.”

Lyra blushed and smiled warmly. “Thank you, Sky. That means a lot. My lyre is my most treasured possession, and hearing that one of my favorite ponies likes my music that much, means the world to me.”

Sky blushed when he heard Lyra refer to him as one of her favorite ponies. “You’re more than welcome, Lyra. You’re an amazingly talented mare. And…” Sky blushed even more, “…you’re one of my favorite ponies too.”

“Awww.” said Lyra. “You’re so sweet.”

“I do my best.” Sky chuckled. He wasn’t sure what to say in response. No mare had ever complimented him like that before.

Lyra giggled. “Now then, how about your cutie mark story? I told you mine, so now you can tell me yours!”

“Well, it took me a long time to get mine.” Sky recalled. “When I was a colt, I was very much a perfectionist, and I guess I still am. No matter how good I was at something, it always seemed like there was somepony else who was far better than me. I lost motivation easily and gave up on a lot of things because I thought if I couldn’t do it perfectly, then I may as well not do it at all. I was one of the last remaining blank flanks in my class. However, one thing I had always enjoyed and stuck with was drawing buildings, bridges and maps. I’d always had an interest in architecture, and I enjoyed going to cities and seeing the tall buildings. When I was old enough to go off on my own, I applied to the Canterlot School of Architecture and sent them a portfolio of my drawings. I wasn’t expecting them to accept me, being a blank flank and all, but my parents urged me to take the chance. A few days later, I got a letter in the mail. The School of Architecture had accepted my application and wanted me to come to Canterlot for a tour. When I finished reading the letter, my flank started glowing and after many years of imperfection and indecision, my cutie mark finally appeared and my future was set. I was a late bloomer, but I made it in the end.”

Lyra smiled. “I’m glad things turned out well for you. Your cutie mark story is really inspiring. I’ve never liked the fillies and colts who pick on blank flanks. Just because they don’t have their cutie mark yet doesn’t make them inferior.”

“Exactly.” Sky agreed. “I was lucky that there were no bullies at my school.”

Lyra nodded. “Definitely. Your confidence must have gone up after you got your cutie mark, too.”

“Oh, it did.” Sky said as he prepared to continue his story. “I felt so much better about myself and my abilities after that. I entered the School of Architecture with a newfound self-reliance, and I soon discovered that I was more talented and more creative than many of the established architects at the time. I always took my designs in a different direction than anypony else, and I graduated as the top student.”

“Wow!” Lyra remarked. “You must have been so good! How come you didn’t start your career in Canterlot, though?”

“I would have liked to, but Canterlot isn’t usually a place for architects to start their careers.” Sky admitted. “Since Canterlot is the capital of Equestria, and most of the buildings are pretty old, ponies looking to build there generally look for old established architects rather than young inexperienced ones. Manehattan, on the other hoof, has always been full of opportunities for architects looking to start their careers, plus it’s not too far away from Manebridge. I didn’t really want to leave Canterlot, especially when Sugarcoat was living only a few blocks away from me, but I knew it was for the best. So I said goodbye to Sugar, and rented a small apartment in downtown Manehattan. It was noisy and cramped, but I was able to start my career quickly, and I soon had enough money to move to a bigger apartment near the ocean. I stayed there for a few years, but eventually I got tired of Manehattan in general. It was far too crowded for somepony like me, and I wanted to have my own house.”

“I can imagine.” Lyra said sympathetically. “I’m not much of a city pony either. Canterlot is nice, but I’ve never wanted to live in Manehattan or any of the other big cities. I’ve performed there a few times with Octavia and Vinyl, and Noteworthy calls it the music capital of Equestria, but I wouldn’t want to stay there permanently.”

At the mention of Noteworthy, Sky grimaced. “Is there something wrong?” Lyra asked with concern.

Sky hesitated. “Well, um… yes. I think I should tell you what was bothering me the last time I visited your parents. Promise you won’t brush me off?”

“Of course not.” Lyra said kindly. “You can tell me anything. If you need somepony to confide in, I’m here.”

“All right.” Sky nodded and took a deep breath. “It was Noteworthy. When I rode the train up to Canterlot that day, he sat down next to me and was friendly at first, but then…” Sky paused to think about what words he wanted to use, “…he started insulting me. He told me that you weren’t interested in being my friend, and that I was a loner who had no chance with you. And… I believed him. That’s why I was so awkward around your family.” Sky slammed his front hooves down on the table. “That arrogant, smug jerk… he ruined my whole day!”

Lyra was taken aback. “I’m really sorry that happened to you, Sky. But… that doesn’t sound like Noteworthy. I’ve been friends with him for a long time, and insulting somepony else like that just seems out of character for him. I mean, I believe you, but maybe there was a misunderstanding?”

“There was no misunderstanding.” Sky replied. “He clearly stated that he’s been interested in you for a long time, and told me to stay out of his way. I did nothing to provoke him. I was perfectly friendly to him, and then he suddenly started bragging about himself and putting me down. The worst part was that he told me to have a nice day at the end, when he clearly didn’t mean it and had been nothing but an arrogant jerk to me!”

Lyra’s eyes widened. “Wow! Just… wow! To think that Noteworthy of all ponies would act like that…”

“Clearly, Noteworthy isn’t who you thought he was.” Sky said firmly. “He may be nice to you, but he certainly wasn’t nice to me.”

Lyra nodded, deep in thought. “I’ll talk to him about this the next time I see him. Hopefully this whole thing can be straightened out.” She winked at Sky. “If it makes you feel better, I don’t have any feelings for him.”

Sky blushed and smiled. “That’s good to know. Thanks, Lyra.”

By now, both Sky and Lyra had finished their dinner. Montgomery soon arrived. “How was your dinner tonight, my friends?” he asked with a smile.

“Very good, thank you!” said Lyra.

“Excellent!” said Montgomery. “I’m very glad you enjoyed your meal! We always do our best to provide fine food and sincere service!”

“You’ve certainly done that tonight.” said Sky. “And for that we thank you!”

“Oh, no problem!” Montgomery said cheerfully. “May I get you any dessert tonight?”

Sky and Lyra looked at each other. They were both feeling full. “No, thank you.” said Sky. “You can just give us the bill.”

“Righto!” Montgomery placed the bill on the table. “Your dinner came to twenty-eight bits.”

Sky figured that since he was the one who asked Lyra out, he should be the one to pay. He reached into his saddlebag, but Lyra stopped him. “I’d feel bad if I made you pay for everything, Sky.” she said. “How about we each pay half? Fourteen bits each.”

Sky was surprised by Lyra’s offer, but agreed. “If you want to, sure! That sounds good.” Sky pulled 14 bits out of his saddlebag, and Lyra did the same.

“Thank you very much!” said Montgomery. “Have a wonderful night!”

“You too!” said Lyra. She and Sky got up from their seats and departed the cafe. The sky was now dark, and a crescent moon and many distant stars illuminated the streets below. “Do you want to take a walk along the river?” Sky asked. “It’s a lovely night.”

“I’d love to!” Lyra replied. “Being by the river is always nice.”

“Indeed it is.” Sky agreed. “We can walk along the road on the other side.”

Sky and Lyra walked down the street together and soon arrived at one of the many stone bridges over the river. From the south, the river emerges from the Everfree Forest and curves through the east side of Ponyville. On the river’s east bank, there is a dirt road that runs alongside the river for several miles. A gentle night breeze wafted through Sky and Lyra’s manes as they leisurely trotted across the stone bridge and onto the east bank.

“Which way do you want to go?” Sky asked.

“Let’s turn left.” Lyra suggested. “I’d rather not go into the Everfree after dark. We’ll head north and see where this road goes. I’ve never actually walked along here before.”

“Good idea.” said Sky. “I’ve never walked along this road either. It’ll be an adventure!”

Lyra beamed. “I’d love to go on an adventure tonight. Especially with you.”

Sky blushed. “Same here, Lyra.”

Sky and Lyra began walking along the river road. The water in the river was calm, and the reflection of the moon and stars twinkled on the surface. “Ah, this night is perfect.” Sky sighed happily. “The air is warm but not too warm, there’s just enough of a breeze to cool us off, and the stars are out. I’ve always liked taking walks at this hour. The night air washes away whatever stress I’m feeling, and helps clear my mind.”

Lyra smiled and nodded in agreement. “That must have been another thing you missed when you were in Manehattan. The polluted city air blocks out the light of the stars, and it’s just not the same. I used to love going to the Canterlot sculpture gardens after dark when I was a filly, because it was the only place where I could see the night sky clearly.”

“That’s another place I should visit at some point.” said Sky. “I’ve heard it’s the best sculpture park in Equestria.”

“You and I should go together one of these days!” Lyra exclaimed. “I’d love to show you around!”

“That’d be great!” Sky replied. “We’ll just have to pick a day to go.”

Sky and Lyra were now making their way around the widest section of the river. The Ivory Estate, the place where they first met, was visible on the opposite bank. “Seeing the Ivory Estate from the other side of the river makes me remember the time we first met.” Sky remarked fondly. “It wasn’t so long ago that we sat on that balcony together, overlooking the bright blue river and basking in the warm summer sun.”

Lyra sighed peacefully. “I remember that day very well. I suppose it’s a bit poetic that we came back here tonight. You may have given me some inspiration for a new song…”

“Glad I could be of assistance.” Sky chuckled. “I’d love to hear that song when you compose it.”

After Sky and Lyra passed by the Ivory Estate, the river narrowed again and curved west. It was a blind curve, lined with trees. Just before the curve, the dirt road abruptly ended. “Well… I guess we’ve reached the end of the road.” said Sky. “Where do we go now?”

“Let’s just keep following the river.” said Lyra. “It’s an adventure, right?”

Sky thought for a moment, then agreed. “True. Plus, the night is still young. We’ve still got plenty of time to walk around together!”

Lyra grinned, and led the way around the bend. Sky followed, with Lyra and the moonlight guiding his steps. Lyra’s turquoise mane and tail looked radiant under the stars.

Suddenly, Lyra stopped. “Sky!” she called. “Look where we are!”

Sky ran up alongside Lyra, and gasped as he recognized the location. “We’re at the lake!” he exclaimed. “I can’t believe I never noticed that the river flows into it!”

“I never noticed that either!” Lyra agreed. “I’ve just never seen the lake from this side before. We must be close to your house, then!”

Sky looked around the lake and spotted his front porch light about two miles ahead. “There it is!” he said, pointing to it. “My porch light is still on. I’ll show it to you! We can sit on the deck together.”

“I’ve wanted to see your house ever since you first told me about it.” said Lyra. “And sitting on the deck with you sounds wonderful.”

Sky and Lyra made their way around the lake to Sky’s house. Sky led Lyra up the front steps and onto the spacious deck. Two deck chairs were already sitting side by side near the railing. “Take a seat.” Sky said with a smile. Lyra blushed as Sky pulled out the first chair for her.

Lyra and Sky sat down together and enjoyed the panoramic night view. The lake was a crystal clear shade of midnight blue. “So… do you like the view?” Sky asked.

“It’s amazing.” whispered Lyra. “You’re so lucky to have this place all to yourself.”

“I really am.” Sky agreed. “A view like this is a delight to behold each and every day.” He blushed profusely as he prepared to confess his feelings. “Just like you, Lyra.”

Lyra blushed in return, her ears flopped down, and she smiled her most adorable smile. “Oh, Sky… nopony’s ever said that to me before.” She gave Sky a kiss on the cheek, and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m really glad I met you.”

Sky looked down and nuzzled Lyra’s silky soft mane. “Me too, Lyra. Me too.”

Lyra and Sky were content to stay where they were for the night, enjoying each other’s company and the most beautiful view either of them had ever seen. Eventually Lyra drifted off to sleep, her head still resting on Sky’s shoulder.

She looks so adorable when she’s asleep, Sky thought to himself. His eyes twinkled and began to close, and he soon fell asleep too.

Chapter 9: Beginnings and Endings

At half past five the next morning, Sky and Lyra simultaneously opened their sleepy eyes, awakened by the light and warmth of the early morning sun. They were both surprised to find that instead of laying down on their own beds, they were sitting outdoors on the far side of the big lake. They were a bit disoriented at first, but then saw each other and remembered the previous night.

Sky let out a yawn, then smiled. “Did you sleep well?” he asked.

Lyra nodded. “Mhm. Did you?”

“Yeah… these deck chairs are more comfortable to sleep in than I thought they’d be.” said Sky.

Lyra giggled softly. “I can’t believe I spent a whole night out here. With you.”

“Me neither.” Sky agreed. “I just thought I’d show you the view from my house, but then we both fell asleep. Nice way to spend a summer night, though.”

“It sure is.” said Lyra. “The warm summer air sent me right to sleep.”

Sky nodded in agreement, and then both he and Lyra fell back asleep. Sunrise was considerably earlier than either of them was accustomed to waking up. At around nine o’clock, they awoke again. The sun was now high in the sky, and its warm rays of light were shimmering over the calm blue water.

Sky felt his stomach starting to growl. “I’m going to need breakfast soon.” he muttered.

“Me too.” Lyra agreed. “Do you want to go to the Hay Burger? They have the best breakfast in Ponyville.”

Sky had an idea. “How about I treat you to some homemade vanilla pancakes?” he suggested. “I learned the recipe from my mom when I was a teenager.”

Lyra grinned. “That would be lovely! I love vanilla pancakes!”

“Great!” said Sky. “I’ll get the griddle ready.” He got up from his chair and led Lyra into the house.

When Lyra looked around Sky’s living room, she was very impressed. It had comfy furniture, a shiny wooden floor, and many large open windows to let in the sunlight and the refreshing lake breeze. “This place is amazing!” Lyra remarked. “It feels so open and relaxing. You definitely picked the right house.”

“Thanks!” said Sky. “I was really lucky that this house was put up for sale just as I was moving away from Manehattan.”

While Lyra sat in front of the main window, letting the cool lake breeze blow against her chest fluff, Sky began preparing the ingredients for the pancakes. He whisked the dry ingredients together in one bowl, and whisked the wet ingredients together in another. He then mixed the wet and dry ingredients together, and spooned two cups of batter onto the griddle, a third of a cup for each pancake. Within a few minutes, Sky had made six fresh vanilla pancakes. “Pancakes are done!” he called to Lyra.

“Yay!” Lyra exclaimed. Sky gave her a plate, and they each took three pancakes. They then sat down together at Sky’s kitchen table.

“Your pancakes are amazing!” Lyra said after she took a bite. “These might be the best pancakes I’ve ever had!”

Sky smiled. “Thank you! I’m glad you’re enjoying them. My mom always made the best pancakes, and she taught me the recipe so that I could make them myself.”

“Then she definitely taught you really well!” said Lyra. She laughed. “My mom could never make pancakes. Like, she’s not a bad cook, but she just can’t do pancakes for whatever reason.”

“Oh, that’s a shame.” said Sky. “My mom’s homemade pancakes are so good that restaurant pancakes just can’t satisfy me.”

“I totally understand that!” Lyra agreed. “Can you send me a copy of the recipe? I’d love to be able to make these myself.”

“Of course I can!” Sky said with a smile. “I’ll go down to the print store later today.”

“Thank you!” Lyra replied. “That would be great!”

Sky and Lyra soon finished their breakfast, and Lyra again thanked Sky for making the pancakes. “I’m honored that you liked them so much.” Sky said modestly. “I mean, apart from a few breakfast foods and desserts, my cooking skills are pretty limited.”

Just then, Derpy the mailmare appeared outside the front window. She swooped down and dropped an envelope into Sky’s mail basket. “Ooh, looks like I’ve got mail!” Sky remarked. He opened the front door and picked up the envelope. “Well, would you look at that!” he exclaimed, showing it to Lyra. “It’s from your dad!”

“Oh, cool!” said Lyra. “I wonder what it’ll say?”

Sky tore open the envelope and read Orpheus’ letter. The two floor plans that Sky had given to Orpheus and Spearmint earlier were also there.

Dear Sky,

Spearmint and I have chosen the larger of the two extension layouts that you designed for us. I was able to convince my wife to let me have the larger game room. Since we don’t know of any builders in this area, we’d like you to recommend one to us.

Also, we’ve made our own copies of the floor plan, so you can have the originals back. Thank you for designing our extension, and we look forward to seeing you again soon!

Sincerely,

Orpheus Heartstrings

Lyra laughed. “I guess my parents only took a few days to settle this argument! Usually they take a week or more.”

“Well, I’m glad they settled this one quickly.” said Sky. “Now the project can move to the next level! And you were right – it sounds like they are happy to be working with me. I still want to apologize next time I see them, though.”

Lyra nodded. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, Sky. You can apologize to them if it makes you feel better, but I’m sure they’ve already forgiven you.” She looked up at the clock and saw that it was a quarter to ten. “I’ve got to go to Canterlot now, though. Bon Bon, Minuette and I are helping Twinkleshine move some boxes to her new house today. I forgot to tell you about it last night.”

“That’s all right!” Sky replied. “I wasn’t expecting you to stick around for this long, anyway.”

“Well, your lake house is really comfy!” said Lyra. “Do you have any plans for today?”

“Sugarcoat is coming over to visit me later this morning.” said Sky. “We’ll probably fly around the lake for a while, and then get lunch afterward.”

“Ah, you’re making me jealous!” Lyra chuckled. “That sounds like so much more fun than moving boxes.”

Sky shrugged. “As long as you’re helping a friend out, moving boxes can’t be too bad, right?”

“True!” said Lyra. “Anyway, I’d best be off now. Thank you so much for taking me to dinner last night, and for showing me your amazing lake house.”

Sky blushed. “You’re more than welcome, Lyra. It was my pleasure.”

Lyra smiled sweetly and gave Sky another kiss on the cheek. Then she headed out the door, with Sky smiling and waving to her as she left.

Sky was simply thrilled. His first date with Lyra had been the most amazing night of his life, and she seemed to really like him back. He could feel their friendship beginning to blossom into something more.

After arriving back in town, Lyra stopped off at her house to brush her teeth and take a shower, since she hadn’t taken one the night before. She then headed to Bon Bon’s house, which was only a block away. She rang the doorbell, and Bon Bon quickly answered.

“Morning, Lyra!” said Bon Bon. She paused, and smiled knowingly. “How was your date last night?”

“It was really nice!” Lyra replied, blushing lightly. “Sky and I shared our cutie mark stories and some career experiences over dinner, and then we took a walk along the river and around the lake. It was a perfect night. The air was warm, and the stars were out.” Lyra didn’t mention that she had spent the night with Sky. She figured Bon Bon didn’t need to know that.

“I’m glad to hear it went well.” said Bon Bon. “I’ve never seen you this interested in a stallion before.”

Lyra blushed again. “Well… fine, you’re right.” she conceded. “I really do love spending time with Sky.”

Bon Bon chuckled. “I could tell by how often you talk about him, and how worried you were about him last week.”

“Yeah.” Lyra admitted. “He’s so kind and thoughtful. And not just to me, but to everypony.”

Bon Bon nodded, and put one leg around Lyra’s shoulder. “I would have to agree. I may tease you about him sometimes, but I’m happy for you.”

Lyra gave Bon Bon a hug. “I know. That’s what best friends are for. Anyway, are you ready to go help Twinkleshine?”

“Of course!” Bon Bon replied. “We’d better not keep her waiting!”

Lyra smiled, and she and Bon Bon walked down to the train station together. They boarded the train, and were soon riding along the big wooden trestles that led up to Canterlot. “I had to deal with a really rude customer at my candy shop yesterday.” Bon Bon remarked.

“Really?” Lyra asked. “What happened?”

“There was a delay with the latest shipment of white chocolate to my shop, so I can’t make any more white chocolate truffles until it gets here.” Bon Bon explained. “I put a sign on the counter explaining the situation. At around half past three yesterday, Noteworthy came in and ordered a bag of white chocolate truffles. I told him to read the sign, and then he started yelling at me, even though it wasn’t a problem on my end. I reminded him that I had sixteen other truffle flavors, but he still yelled at me. So I kicked him out of my shop, and told him not to come back if he’s going to have such a bad attitude.”

Lyra thought for a moment. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that, Bonnie. Rude customers are the worst. But that’s actually really interesting, because last night Sky was complaining about Noteworthy too.”

Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “Not surprising. What else has Noteworthy done?”

“The last time Sky visited my parents, Noteworthy sat down next to him on the train and started insulting him.” Lyra replied. “That’s why the visit was so awkward. Apparently, Noteworthy has a crush on me and thinks Sky is getting in the way. I obviously don’t have a crush on Noteworthy, and if he’s being mean to Sky, I don’t even like him as a friend.”

“Wow!” said Bon Bon. “You definitely need to confront him about this the next time you see him.”

“Oh, I will!” Lyra agreed. “Hopefully it doesn’t get too ugly.”

Bon Bon shrugged. “If it does, it does. We’re both strong mares. We can handle a jerky stallion just fine!”

“True!” Lyra chuckled.

The train steamed into Canterlot, and the best friends disembarked. From there, Lyra led the way to Twinkleshine’s old house, where Twinkleshine and Minuette were waiting. “Hi, Lyra! Hi, Bon Bon!” Minuette called out. “It’s so great to see you both!”

“Hi, Minuette!” said Lyra. “It’s great to see you too!” She looked over at the cart behind Twinkleshine. It was loaded with a dozen boxes. “Guess you got a head start?”

“Yeah, we filled up the first cart before you got here.” said Twinkleshine. “Thanks so much for coming to help me, though. This house is falling apart and I didn’t want to keep paying the repair bills. The movers moved all of my furniture yesterday, but I’d rather move the smaller things myself. There are about twenty boxes left, and another cart sitting in the alley.”

“Cool!” said Lyra. “We’ll get right to it!” She and Bon Bon went into the old house and found several stacks of boxes. They soon found out that some of the boxes were quite a bit heavier than others. “Holy horseapples, what is in this one?!” Lyra groaned as she attempted to levitate a particularly heavy one. She set it down on the floor with a loud thud.

“How about you take all the light ones while I use my earth pony strength to push the heavy ones?” Bon Bon suggested.

“Good idea.” Lyra panted. “Thanks.”

Over the next ten minutes, Lyra and Bon Bon moved all the remaining boxes to the front door, where Twinkleshine and Minuette magically lifted them into the carts. The box that Lyra had had trouble with earlier was the heaviest one of all, and it took the magic of two unicorns to comfortably lift it. Soon, all of the boxes had been sorted into two carts. Each cart had two harnesses, so Twinkleshine and Minuette took the first cart while Lyra and Bon Bon took the second. “Ready to go?” Twinkleshine asked.

“Yes!” Lyra replied. “Lead the way!”

Twinkleshine and Minuette set off down the road, with Lyra and Bon Bon following behind. “So what have you two been up to lately?” Minuette asked in her usual cheerful tone. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen either of you!”

“Well, I’ve been spending more time with this stallion…” Lyra giggled, blushing a bit.

Minuette’s ears perked up. “Ooh, that’s so exciting!” she tittered. “What’s his name?”

“His name’s Sky Scraper.” Lyra replied. “He’s an architect who recently moved to Ponyville all the way from Manehattan!”

“That’s so cool!” Minuette exclaimed. “How did you two meet?”

“We were in the same tour group at the Ivory Estate last month.” Lyra recalled. “You know, the big mansion on the river in Ponyville? Anyway, we ran into each other while looking at some of Ivory Brushstroke’s paintings, and then we just started talking!”

“Well, I was there too, but Lyra and Sky really hit it off!” Bon Bon added.

“You know, I’ve been meaning to go to the Ivory Estate one of these days, but I never got around to it.” said Twinkleshine. “It’s nice to hear you met somepony. Is he working on any new buildings right now?”

“He’s actually working for my parents right now!” Lyra laughed. “My parents finally got around to adding that extension they always wanted, and since they needed an architect to design it, I recommended Sky!”

“That was a great idea!” said Minuette. “Now you just have to spend more time with him! You should invite him to have donuts with us sometime, we’d love to meet him!”

Twinkleshine nodded in agreement. “If one of our friends is getting close to a stallion, we have to get to know him. It’s part of the mare code.”

“Of course!” said Lyra. “I’ll ask him once Lemon Hearts and Moondancer get back from the Crystal Empire.”

The four friends laughed and gossiped for the remainder of the journey, and eventually arrived at Twinkleshine’s new house. It was a large white house that was only a few blocks away from Canterlot Castle. “This is really impressive!” said Lyra.

“Yeah, you sure picked a good one!” added Minuette.

“Thanks, girls.” replied Twinkleshine. “And thanks for helping me move everything, too.”

“No problem!” said Minuette. “Do you want us to help you unpack?”

“No, I think I can do it myself.” said Twinkleshine. “Do you girls want to go to the cafe now? Lunch is on me today!”

Everypony agreed, and they walked down the street to the cafe, the same one where Lyra and Bon Bon had run into Sky and Sugarcoat about a month before. “Should we sit indoors or outdoors?” Twinkleshine asked.

“I’d rather sit indoors with the AC.” said Bon Bon. “Hard work makes me hot.” Lyra and Minuette nodded in agreement.

The four mares went into the cafe to find a table. Lyra and Bon Bon then spotted Noteworthy and Royal Riff getting ready to leave. “Oh, great.” Bon Bon muttered. “Him again.”

“Hi, Lyra!” said Royal Riff. “What are you up to?”

“Oh, hey, Royal!” said Lyra. “I was just helping my friend Twinkleshine move some boxes to her new house. What about you?”

“Nothing much, really.” Royal replied. “Note and I were just walking around Canterlot today.”

“As all high-class musicians do.” Noteworthy said pompously. “You’re more than welcome to join me any time.”

Lyra was not impressed. “Well, Noteworthy,” she said firmly, “I’ve got some questions for you.”

Noteworthy’s eyes lit up. “Oh, really? Do you want to learn how to play the sax? It’s a true art form – not just anypony can do it.”

“No.” said Lyra. “What I want to know is what happened with you and Sky the other day? Sky told me you said some mean things to him on the train to Canterlot.”

Noteworthy pretended to not know what Lyra was talking about. “What? I never said mean things to Sky. What reason would I have to insult a good pony like him? And when did Sky tell you this, anyway?”

“Last night.” Lyra replied. “We had dinner together at the Ponyville Cafe.”

Noteworthy laughed. “I’m not believing that! There’s no way a pretty mare like you would ever go out with a sad loner like him.”

“Sky’s not a sad loner!” Lyra snapped. “He’s a very kind and intelligent stallion, and a great friend to me. Also, you just insulted him right now, and I really don’t appreciate that.”

Noteworthy lowered his eyes. “Listen to yourself, Lyra. Are you seriously choosing him over me? I’m the most talented musician in Ponyville, probably the most talented in Equestria. You and I have known each other since the start of our musical careers. A beautiful mare like you deserves a strong stallion who shares her interests, and Sky is certainly not that. First of all, a musician and an architect have nothing in common. Secondly, if Sky can’t handle me tossing some shade at him, then he’s never going to survive in the real world. But that’s all I’m going to say on the matter. It’s your choice. I just hope, for your sake, that you don’t choose the wrong stallion.” Noteworthy smirked and strutted out of the cafe. Royal Riff followed with a concerned look on his face.

“Noteworthy seems like a real meanie!” Minuette remarked.

Lyra nodded. “He’s definitely not who I thought he was. He was rude to Sky, he was rude to Bonnie, and now he’s tried to manipulate me.”

“You need to stop being friends with him.” Bon Bon said staunchly.

“Definitely.” Lyra agreed. “Anyway, let’s get something to eat.”

Having two friends who are enemies is always an awkward situation, but Lyra knew whose side she was on. Her friendship with Noteworthy was at an end, but her connection with Sky was getting stronger and stronger.

Chapter 10: Meet the Axeblades

It was a hot and humid afternoon in Ponyville, and Sky was strolling slowly through the Everfree Forest with a blue raspberry Popsicle in his mouth. It had been almost a week since his first date with Lyra, and he figured it was time to visit Emerald again and tell him about what a great week he’d had. Unlike his first trip into the Everfree, Sky had no difficulties finding Emerald’s cottage this time. He arrived at his destination in due time, and knocked on the door.

Within seconds, Emerald responded. “Hey, Sky!” he said with a smile. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been great!” Sky replied. “Just thought I’d drop by for a visit, that’s all.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” said Emerald. “You’re always welcome to drop by. Come on in!” He moved aside to let Sky into the cottage. “The weather today is amazing, isn’t it? Just like the tropics!”

Sky shrugged. “I prefer it when it’s drier and not quite as hot, but I’ve never hated the humidity as much as some ponies do. Since it’s the hottest day of the summer so far, I got a Popsicle from Sugarcube Corner on my way over here.”

“That was a good idea.” Emerald chuckled. “I love it when the humidity is really high, though. Tree Hugger and I went to the tropics around this time last summer, and we’re planning to go again later this summer.”

“That’s nice.” said Sky. “I’ve never been to the tropics myself, though. Mainly because I’d rather not deal with all the enormous flying insects down there.”

Emerald laughed. “The enormous flying insects can be annoying at first, but eventually you get used to them being there, and if you don’t bother them, they don’t bother you.”

“Well, that’s a relief.” Sky remarked. “Speaking of which, where’s Tree Hugger?”

“She’s just outside watering our plants.” Emerald replied. “She’ll probably come back in soon. By the way, do you want to see our new millipedes? I bought two more Zebrican giant millipedes from the pet store yesterday.”

“Sure!” said Sky. “It’s nice that you got Sebastian a couple of friends.”

Emerald led Sky over to the terrarium. This time, instead of just one giant millipede, there were three. “Meet Octavia and Pandora.” Emerald announced. He pointed to the two new millipedes inside the terrarium. “You can tell them apart from Sebastian because they’re not quite as long as him, and female millipedes aren’t missing two pairs of legs on the seventh segment.” He laughed. “The females have only been here for a day, and Sebastian and Pandora have already had sex!”

“Oh, no!” Sky laughed. “Looks like you’ll have baby millipedes soon!”

“Hopefully not.” said Emerald. “I looked through the terrarium this morning and didn’t find any eggs, so that’s a relief. Anyway, how are things going between you and Lyra?”

Sky grinned. “They’re going really well! I took your advice to heart, and she and I had our first date this past weekend!”

“That’s great! Congratulations!” said Emerald. “How did the date go?”

“It was amazing!” Sky replied. “It was the best night of my life! We had a really nice dinner at the Ponyville Cafe, we shared our cutie mark stories, and then we took a walk along the river. I never noticed this before, but after the river passes by the Ivory Estate, it curves around and flows into the big lake near my house!”

“I never noticed that either!” Emerald remarked. “That’s really cool! Did you and Lyra walk around the lake?”

“We did!” Sky went on. “I led her around the lake and up onto the deck of my house. We sat there looking at the lake together, and then we both fell asleep.” He blushed as he remembered that wonderful moment. “We then woke up together the next morning, and I made her pancakes for breakfast. Oh, those two days were just perfect!”

Emerald smiled. “It sure sounds like it to me. I’m glad everything worked out well between you and her. And you spent a night together too!”

“Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that.” Sky said modestly. “We were just sitting on the deck together, and then before either of us knew it, we were both asleep.”

“You two must feel really comfortable being around each other, then.” said Emerald.

“Well, I wouldn’t fall asleep next to just anypony.” Sky chuckled. “It really is so much more fulfilling to focus on the ponies you like, instead of getting sidetracked by the ponies you don’t like.”

“Exactly.” Emerald said with a nod. “No matter what Noteworthy or anypony else might say, the only thing that matters is that you and Lyra love spending time with each other.”

Just then, Tree Hugger came back in and put her watering can down on the kitchen counter. She came into the living room and was surprised to see Sky. “Radical to see you here, Sky.” she said with a smile. “Are your chakras balancing out?”

Sky raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t sure what Tree Hugger meant. It must have been some hippie lingo that he obviously wouldn’t understand.

“She’s just asking you how you’re feeling.” Emerald whispered to Sky. “If you’re feeling better than you were the last time you visited.”

“Oh. All right.” said Sky. He turned back to Tree Hugger. “I’m feeling great, thanks for asking. I was just telling Emerald about my date with Lyra last week. It went amazingly well!”

“Righteous!” Tree Hugger exclaimed. “Great to hear that! Life is good when you bathe yourself in positive vibes instead of letting others harsh your flow.”

“Absolutely!” Sky agreed.

“Have you met Octavia and Pandora yet?” Tree Hugger asked. “They’re our two new daughters, and we love them just as much as Sebastian.”

“Yes, I have!” said Sky. “Emerald showed them to me while you were out gardening.” He suppressed a loud giggle. “Apparently Sebastian and Pandora have already had sex!”

Tree Hugger smiled and nodded. “That’s right. Sebastian and Pandora are already in love. It was love at first sight, just like me and Emerald.” She gave Emerald a kiss on the cheek, causing Emerald to blush lightly.

“We’ve been together for over a year and I still blush whenever she kisses me.” Emerald admitted.

“I can imagine.” Sky chuckled. “Being kissed by your special somepony must always be a special feeling.”

“It really is.” Emerald agreed. “Hopefully you and Lyra will have lots of moments like that in the future.”

“I hope so too.” said Sky. “Speaking of which, the extension project is also going really well. Lyra’s parents were able to settle their argument, and they want me to recommend a builder to them. The problem is that I don’t know of any builders in this area.”

Emerald’s eyes lit up. “Well, you’re in luck!” he chortled. “A friend of mine and his twin brother happen to own and operate a building company. They live in San Franciscolt most of the time, but they always spend part of the summer in Ponyville. They’ll be arriving here in a couple of days.”

“Wow… what perfect timing!” Sky exclaimed. “What’s your friend’s name?”

“Douglas Axeblade.” Emerald replied. “His twin brother is Donald Axeblade. The Axeblade Building Company was founded by their ancestors in Scotland, and it goes back many generations. When he’s not working, Douglas loves gardening, which is how he and I became friends.”

“Cool!” said Sky. “I think I’ve heard of the Axeblades before. They must be one of those big famous families.”

“They are.” Emerald affirmed. “There are Axeblades living in all different parts of Equestria. The Axeblade family’s history is steeped in legends and myths, so Douglas always has a good story to tell.”

“They’re a rad pair of ponies, that’s for sure.” Tree Hugger added.

“Can I meet them?” Sky asked.

“Sure!” said Emerald. “When they get here, I’ll arrange a time for all of us to meet up. They’ll build pretty much anything, large or small, so I’m sure they won’t turn down your offer.”

“Sounds good!” said Sky. “I look forward to it!”

Sky stuck around the cottage for a little while longer, but soon decided to head home. He tossed his Popsicle stick in the trash, and then began flying back to the comfort of his air-conditioned lake house.

Emerald stuck to his word. Just two days later, Sky got a letter in the mail from him. The Axeblade twins had arrived in Ponyville, and they and Emerald had agreed to meet up with Sky in the park at two o’clock that afternoon.

Sky hoped that the Axeblade twins would be as friendly and interesting as Emerald and Tree Hugger had made them out to be. At a quarter to two, he set off for the Ponyville park. The humidity had decreased substantially, which made it easier for him to fly faster. He soon arrived in the park, and began looking for Emerald.

He soon found Emerald sitting at a picnic table with two large dark gray earth pony stallions. They were the same height as Emerald, but were far more muscular. Both had ginger manes, brown eyes and thick eyebrows. Figuring that these two were the Axeblades, Sky landed and sat down next to Emerald. “Hey, Sky!” said Emerald. “You made it!”

“Yep!” said Sky. He turned to the twins. “I’m Sky Scraper, the architect. Are you two the Axeblade twins?”

One of the twins smiled and nodded. He had a long, wavy mane and a cutie mark of an axe and a tree branch. “We sure are.” he said a smooth, gentle voice. “I’m Douglas Axeblade. Nice to meet you, Sky.” He and Sky shook hooves, rather awkwardly due to how much larger Douglas’ hoof was.

The other twin had a short, spiky mane and a cutie mark of an axe and an arrow. He gave Sky a hard hoof bump, so hard that Sky nearly fell off the seat. “Ow.” Sky muttered after he regained his balance.

The other twin laughed. “Don’t sweat it, pal.” he said in a deep, rough voice. “I’ve got hard hooves, that’s all. I’m Donald Axeblade, by the way.”

“Well, it’s… nice to meet both of you.” said Sky. “I heard you two own a building company.”

“Hell yeah!” said Donald. “The Axeblade Building Company’s been around for hundreds of years, founded by our great Scottish ancestors and run by every generation of Axeblades since then.”

“The company moved to San Franciscolt when our grandfather moved there.” Douglas explained. “Our dad took over the company when our grandfather retired, and when our dad retired a few years ago, the company passed down to us. We set up a second location in Ponyville because we heard it’s a good town for family businesses.”

“They were the ones who restored my cottage.” Emerald added. “I already knew Douglas from a gardening club that we were both in, and not too long after that I discovered an old cottage that I really liked even though it had been abandoned for years. So I wrote to Douglas about it, and he and Donald spent the next few months restoring it so that I could move in.”

“That was a fun project.” Douglas recalled. “I loved exploring the Everfree and seeing all the flowers and trees that this part of Equestria has to offer.”

“Hauling all our supplies through there was a pain the flank, though.” Donald grunted. “The whole place looks the same to me. I got lost pretty much every time I went in there.”

“That’s because you can’t tell a willow from a walnut.” Douglas scoffed. “As long as you can remember which types of trees are where, you can navigate the forest with no problem.”

“And while you were skipping around and hugging the trees, I was actually working and getting stuff done!” Donald snapped. “Seriously, it takes you forever to do anything!”

“All right, that’s enough.” Emerald interrupted. “Stop bickering, both of you.” He turned to Sky. “Twin brother rivalry. You know how it is.”

Sky chuckled, and remembered a pair of perpetually quarreling twin colts he’d gone to school with in Manebridge. “Yep. I know.”

“Anyway, Emerald said that you wanted to recommend us to somepony.” said Douglas. “What kind of project is it?”

Sky blushed. “Well, they’re the parents of this mare that I like. They’re a retired couple who are looking to add an extension to their house. It’s only four rooms, so it’s a smaller project than either you or I are probably used to doing, but it’ll pay good money and shouldn’t take very long.”

“That sounds good.” said Douglas. “We’re only staying in Ponyville for a couple months, and this project sounds like it can definitely be done within that time frame. Do these ponies live in Ponyville?”

“No, they live in Canterlot.” Sky replied. “Have you been there before?”

“Only once, last year, to get some roof panels that our usual supplier was out of.” said Donald. “We’re not upper crust ponies, if you couldn’t tell.”

“Well, neither am I, but my cousin lives there, so I go there every week.” said Sky. “It’s a nice city, so I’d be more than willing to show you around when we go there.”

“Sounds good to me.” said Douglas. “When do you want to go?”

“How about tomorrow?” Sky suggested. “Will you guys be busy?”

“Of course not!” Donald laughed. “We just got here last night.”

“Perfect!” said Sky. “We’ll meet up at the train station at this same time tomorrow, and then I’ll take you to meet my clients.”

“You’ve got a deal!” said Donald. “Anyway, Douglas and I are going to head over to the liquor store now.”

“We’ve got to restock our whiskey cabinet.” Douglas added. “Anyway, I guess we’ll see you tomorrow, Sky. Nice meeting you!”

“You too!” Sky replied. After the twins left, he turned back to Emerald. “Those two seem cool.” he remarked. “Thanks for telling me about them.”

“No problem.” said Emerald. “Douglas has been a good friend of mine for a while now. Donald’s a little rough around the edges, but he’s hardworking and honest. Between you and the twins, Lyra’s parents will be working with a lot of great ponies.”

Later that afternoon, Sky wrote a letter to Orpheus and Spearmint, explaining that he’d found a pair of builders and that they would all be stopping by for a visit tomorrow afternoon. At two o’clock the next day, Sky met up with Donald and Douglas at the train station.

“I’ve heard the train ride up to Canterlot is fun.” Douglas remarked.

“It is!” Sky replied. “It winds all the way around the mountain. Great views!”

The train pulled into the station, and Sky and the twins got on. Donald and Douglas shared one bench seat, while Sky sat across from them.

“How long have you lived in Ponyville?” Douglas asked Sky.

“Only for a month and a half.” Sky replied. “I moved here from Manehattan at the start of the summer. I live near that big lake north of the town.”

“In the elevated lake house?” Donald asked. “That was the first thing we built after we started doing business in Ponyville!”

“Really? You two built my house?” Sky exclaimed. “Wow! I guess we were destined to meet eventually.”

“I guess so.” Douglas chuckled. “How are you liking the house that we built?”

Sky smiled. “It’s my dream home! Perfect location, perfect views, perfect everything! You guys did a great job.”

“Thanks!” said Douglas. “I’m glad you like it.”

“The ponies we originally built it for paid a shitload of money for it, barely went there for three years, and then decided they didn’t want it anymore.” Donald grumbled. “Huge waste of time and money, if you ask me.”

“Yeah, I never understood why they gave up their summer home.” Sky agreed. “In any case, their loss was my gain!”

The tracks left the ground, and the train began its ascent up the mountainside. Donald and Douglas were very impressed by the view. “Damn!” Donald remarked. “You never get views like this in San Franciscolt!”

“I thought San Franciscolt was full of steep hills, though?” said Sky.

“It is, but all you really see from there is the same buildings you can see anywhere else.” said Douglas. “Not huge waterfalls and wide open fields like this. And for most of the summer, the city is covered by thick fog.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard about the summer fog in the Bay area.” said Sky. “That must get annoying.”

“It does, but eventually you get used to it.” said Donald.

“And it looks really pretty when it settles over the ocean.” added Douglas.

Sky and the twins spent the rest of the train ride talking about their different projects and experiences on opposite coasts of Equestria. The train soon reached the Canterlot station, and Sky and the twins got off. From there, Sky led the twins down the main road, pointing out locations and landmarks that either Sugarcoat or Lyra had shown him. They eventually arrived at Lyra’s parents’ house, and Sky rang the doorbell.

Orpheus soon answered the door. “Good afternoon, Sky!” he said with a smile. “It’s nice to see you again.” He turned to Donald and Douglas. “Axeblade Building Company?”

“Yes sir!” said Donald. “I’m Donald Axeblade.”

“And I’m Douglas Axeblade.” said Douglas.

“A pleasure to meet both of you!” Orpheus said as he shook hooves with both twins. “Come on in!” Sky, Donald and Douglas followed him into the house.

Spearmint came out of the kitchen. “Ah, good to see you right on time, Sky.” she said. “And it’s nice to meet you both, Donald and Douglas.”

“You too, miss.” Douglas said with a smile.

Orpheus and Spearmint sat down on the couch, while Sky and the twins stood on the other side of the coffee table. “First of all, I’d like to apologize for how awkward I was the last time I visited you.” Sky began. “I was just having an off day, that’s all.”

“You don’t need to apologize.” Orpheus chuckled. “We’ve already forgiven you. It’s fine.”

“And I know I was annoyed at the time, but I don’t blame you for not wanting to listen to our argument.” Spearmint added.

“Fortunately, we were able to settle our disagreement without getting you involved.” said Orpheus.

“For now.” Spearmint muttered, giving Orpheus a sideways glance. “If you become addicted to gambling again, we’re going to have a problem.”

Orpheus ignored his wife’s remark. “Anyway, I’m sure Sky already told you about our plans for the extension?” he asked the twins.

“Yep.” said Donald. “This should be a quick and easy project.”

“And if it takes longer than we expected, we’ll stay in Ponyville until it’s finished.” said Douglas.

“That’s good.” said Spearmint. “Now then, I’d better get you two a copy of the plans.” She went upstairs, and returned with a copy of the extension floor plan. After she and Orpheus had settled their disagreement, they had made a copy of their chosen plan, and mailed both of the originals back to Sky.

“So what do you think?” Sky asked.

“Nice work, dude!” said Donald. “Everything is neat and clearly labeled. That’ll make it easier for us.”

“Your concept art of the outside looks really good, too.” said Douglas. “This is looking like a really great project. How much will the total building cost be?”

“Around 80,000 bits.” Sky replied. “The pool accounts for a lot of that. I charge 50 bits per square foot, so I’ll be making some good money from this.”

“Same here.” said Douglas. “Charging by time always seemed a bit unscrupulous to me.” Donald nodded in agreement.

“What kinds of projects do you normally work on?” Spearmint asked.

“We mostly do houses and apartment buildings.” Donald replied. “We mainly work in San Franciscolt, but we work in Ponyville for a month or two each summer.”

“Sky’s lake house was the first house we built in Ponyville.” Douglas continued. “We work pretty quickly, and we get all our supplies from a special contractor yard in San Franciscolt.”

“The yard is owned by our uncle, Rusty Nails.” Donald added. “We can always count on him. Even when we’re working in Ponyville, he gets stuff delivered to us really quick.”

“Do you have anypony else working for your company in Ponyville, or is it just the two of you?” Spearmint asked.

“We have some other friends who help us.” Douglas replied. “They’re independent contractors who work for various building companies.”

“Ah, I see.” said Spearmint. “Well, you two definitely seem like ponies that we can work with.”

Orpheus nodded. “I agree. We’d like to hire you to build our extension! I’ll get the paperwork, for you to sign.” He walked down the hall to his office, and returned with the same paperwork that Sky had signed a few weeks ago. “There’s only one dotted line for the builder, so only one of you needs to sign it.” Orpheus added.

Douglas took the pen and signed his and the company’s name on the dotted line. “There you go! It was nice meeting both of you, and we look forward to starting this project.”

“So do we.” said Orpheus. “Thank you for your recommendation, Sky.”

“No problem.” Sky replied. “I did my part designing your extension, and now the Axeblades will build it. I’ll still supervise its construction, of course.”

Sky felt very proud of himself and his work. The extension that he’d drawn by hoof would soon be brought to life, and he’d made a pair of new friends in Donald and Douglas.

Chapter 11: The Final Interlude

Donald and Douglas were as good as their word. The materials for the extension’s foundation and frame were soon shipped to them, and they were able to start construction right away. Digging and pouring the concrete foundation only took a couple of days, and the frame of the sunroom was soon complete as well. Sky supervised to ensure that the extension was built to plan, but the twins were experienced builders who knew exactly what they were doing. Orpheus and Spearmint were pleased with the work so far, and Douglas had also taken to giving Spearmint gardening advice. The twins soon met Lyra as well, and agreed that as long as everything worked out, Sky would be a very lucky stallion.

The Axeblades worked hard for five straight days, but they now had the weekend off to relax. As they and Sky rode the train back down to Ponyville, they entertained him with stories from their home city of San Franciscolt.

“I have no idea how that guy could have mistaken me for a mare.” Douglas recounted, trying not to laugh. “I mean, I know I’ve got a long mane and tail, and that’s the way I like it, but since when are mares this big? Anyway, I’m taking a shortcut through the alleyway, and this creepy dude comes up and starts trying to hit on me or something. I ignore him for a while, but then he puts his hoof on my flank. So I turn around and buck him straight into the bricks! It was then that he finally realized I was a stallion, and a very strong one too.”

“Wow… what an idiot!” Sky laughed. “I don’t know how that guy could have made that mistake either. Does that kind of stuff happen a lot in SF?”

“More often than you’d think.” Donald replied. “We used to live in one of the sketchy neighborhoods. Lots of street toughs hanging around there.”

“You’d think stallions of our size wouldn’t be much of a target, but some of those thugs just wanted to show off.” Douglas added.

“I’m sure that always ended well for them.” Sky said sarcastically.

“Yeah, they all learned sooner or later that you don’t mess with the Axeblades!” Donald declared.

“Although now that we live in a more expensive neighborhood, that’s not much of a problem anymore.” said Douglas.

“Well, that’s good.” said Sky. “It must have been hard to feel comfortable at home when there were thugs lurking outside all the time.”

Donald shrugged. “Once you’ve lived there long enough, you get used to them and you know how to fight them off.”

When the train arrived in Ponyville, Sky and the twins got off and began walking through the town center. They exchanged a couple more stories until they arrived at the house that the twins shared. “See you later, Sky!” Douglas said as they parted ways. “Enjoy your weekend!”

“Thanks, you too!” Sky replied. He then began flying the rest of the way back to the lake. Just outside Sugarcube Corner, he ran into another familiar face. “Good evening, Bon Bon!” Sky said.

“Hi, Sky!” Bon Bon replied with a smile. “Good to see you again! How’s the extension project going? Lyra told me it’s starting to get built.”

“It is!” Sky replied. “Everything’s been going great so far. I’ve been supervising construction this week, but now I’ll have the weekend off.”

“Oh, that’s perfect!” Bon Bon giggled. “Because Lyra wants to go to the park with you tomorrow afternoon. Oops, I said too much!”

But Sky didn’t mind. “Lyra wants to go on another date with me?” he asked excitedly.

“I think so!” Bon Bon winked at Sky. “Anyway, I’d best be off now. Have fun tomorrow, and don’t tell Lyra that I told you!” And Bon Bon continued on her way.

When Sky arrived back at his house, he found a letter in his mail basket. Seeing that it was from Lyra, he excitedly opened the envelope and read the letter.

Hi, Sky! Since you have the weekend off, I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk in the park with me tomorrow? We can meet up at the entrance, and we can get slush while we’re there too. Does three o’clock tomorrow afternoon sound good to you?

-Lyra

Sky smiled as he read Lyra’s letter. He had heard the weather was going to be perfect tomorrow, and spending the afternoon with Lyra would be even more perfect. He took the letter inside and sat down at his desk. Below Lyra’s signature, he wrote “Yes! That sounds wonderful. -Sky”. He sealed the letter in a new envelope, addressed it to Lyra, and then flew back outside to mail it back to her. Conveniently for him, there was a mailbox on the footbridge leading into Ponyville. He slipped the letter into the mailbox, feeling excited and ready for tomorrow.

At a quarter to three the next day, Sky flew over the lake and across the town to the park. The sun was shining, there were hardly any clouds in the bright blue sky, and a gentle breeze was blowing across the grass. It was indeed a perfect day for a walk in the park.

Lyra was waiting at the park entrance when Sky arrived. She grinned as Sky descended and landed on the ground next to her. “Good afternoon, Sky!” she said cheerfully. “Perfect weather today, isn’t it?”

“It really is!” Sky agreed. “Thanks so much for inviting me to walk with you!”

“Oh, no problem!” Lyra replied. “I figured it’d be a nice way for us to spend some more time together. The Ponyville park is always a nice retreat. There’s a slush stand in the center now, and the scenery at the far end of the park is beautiful.”

Sky smiled. “That all sounds amazing! We can enjoy a sweet treat together, and you can show me your favorite scenery!”

“Of course! I could spend all afternoon here!” Lyra giggled.

Sky and Lyra walked into the park together. Many other ponies were also enjoying the nice weather, either sitting on the grass or walking along the wide open paths. “I have my lyre in my saddlebag, too.” Lyra said with a smile. “I can play a song for you if you want.”

“If you want to, I’d love to hear it.” Sky replied. “I know I’ve said this before, but your music is so beautiful and relaxing.”

“Thank you again, Sky.” Lyra said, blushing lightly. “I’ll play for you after we get slush.”

Sky and Lyra soon reached the slush stand in the center of the park. Sky ordered blue raspberry slush, while Lyra ordered watermelon slush. They sat down on a bench together to enjoy their nice refreshing treats. “Ah, this stuff always hits the spot.” Sky sighed.

“It always does.” Lyra agreed. “There’s a really good slush place in Canterlot, not too far from where my parents live. My friends and I go there all the time during the summer. What do you think of meeting up with them there sometime next week? Minuette and Twinkleshine really want to meet you.”

“Sure! That sounds great!” said Sky. “We can do that in the morning before I go to your parents’ house, and I can pick up some slush for Donald and Douglas too.”

“Good idea!” said Lyra. “I’m sure they’ll appreciate something to keep them cool while they work. Speaking of the construction project, you and the twins have done a great job with everything so far. Both of my parents have had nothing but good things to say about you.”

“Really? That’s nice!” said Sky. “I’m glad to hear I’m doing well.”

“Yep! My dad’s been impressed with you since day one, and I was right about you winning my mom over once construction began.” Lyra gave Sky a pat on the back. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, Sky. You’re doing great.”

“Thanks, Lyra.” Sky replied modestly. “Glad to hear it.”

Lyra and Sky finished the slush and threw their cups and straws in the trash. Lyra then magically lifted her lyre out of her saddlebag. “Now for a song.” she said, smiling and winking at Sky.

“What song are you going to play for me?” Sky asked.

“This one’s called Pretty Blue Sky.” Lyra replied. “I composed it on a whim just a couple weeks ago.” She winked at Sky again. “You may or may not have inspired the title.”

Sky blushed. “If I did, then I’m very honored.”

Lyra smiled warmly. “I think you’ll really like this song. I haven’t played it for anypony yet, so you’ll be the first one to hear it.”

Lyra levitated her lyre in the air and got ready to play the opening notes of her new song. But before she could even pluck a single string, she was rudely interrupted by an all too familiar voice. “Well, if it isn’t Lyra and Sky, the princess and the vulture!” Noteworthy sneered. “I pity both of you, really. She’s chosen a weak stallion who’s far below her league, and he’s foolish enough to think any of this is going to last.”

“Come on, Note!” Royal Riff begged. “Cut it out! I know you had a crush on Lyra, but do you really think acting like this will make her like you back?”

“Royal’s right!” Lyra said firmly. She stood up from the bench to confront Noteworthy. “I now know exactly why Sky doesn’t like you. I used to consider you a good friend, but the way you’ve acted since the music show is despicable. You pick on Sky when he’s never done anything to you. You act as though you’re automatically entitled to a relationship with me just because you’ve known me for longer than Sky. I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt at first, but now I see who you really are. You’re an arrogant, sleazy scumbag, and I want nothing to do with you!”

“Oh, how lovely!” Noteworthy snorted. “She’s throwing out insults!”

“Which is exactly what you keep on doing to me!” Sky interjected. “On the train, in the cafe, and right now. And let me just say I do NOT appreciate any of it!”

“It doesn’t matter how you feel, Sky!” Noteworthy retorted. “You need to be put in your place!” Noteworthy then made his worst move yet. “If you think you’re a better stallion than me, then I’ll show you who’s boss!” He put his leg around Lyra and pulled her in close to him. Lyra disgustedly pulled herself away, and in that same moment, Sky jumped up from the bench.

“You disgusting son of a bitch!” Sky shouted. He rapidly lifted his front right hoof and punched Noteworthy in the muzzle as hard as he could. Noteworthy jumped back in pain, then glared at Sky.

“Why, you insolent featherbrain!” Noteworthy growled. He swung his rear legs around to buck Sky in the chest. Sky saw it coming and dove out of the way, but one of Noteworthy’s legs still grazed his right wing.

Lyra and Royal watched on in horror as Sky and Noteworthy continued to take swings at each other. Sky blocked or dodged most of Noteworthy’s punches, but then Noteworthy landed a particularly hard one on Sky’s left shoulder. Sky cried out in pain, and Lyra decided to intervene.

“That’s enough!!!” Lyra yelled. Visibly straining, she picked up Noteworthy with her magic, and then threw him as hard as she could. Noteworthy went flying through the air and landed hard on a wooden bench, smashing it to splinters.

Royal Riff was horrified by what he had just seen, but he understood why Lyra had done it. Nevertheless, he ran over to check on Noteworthy. The arrogant saxophone player lay unconscious in a pile of smashed wood, covered in large cuts and bruises. “Someone call the hospital!” Royal cried.

Meanwhile, Lyra sat on the bench with Sky laying in her lap. “Are you okay, Sky?” she asked with deep concern.

“I’m not sure…” Sky groaned. He looked down and saw that he had a large bruise on his left shoulder, and a bleeding cut on his right wing. “Ugh…”

“Come on, Sky.” Lyra said kindly. “I’ll take you to my place. We’ll get that wing bandaged up, and I’ll give you some ice for your shoulder.”

Sky tried to get up and walk on his own, but he stumbled and winced in pain. So Lyra carefully lifted him onto her back, and carried him out of the park. Sky weakly rested his head on the back of Lyra’s, taking in the sweet minty scent of her soft mane. He was in pain, but he knew he was in good hooves.

Luckily, Lyra’s house was only a short walk away from the park. She opened the door, carried Sky into the living room, and gently sat him down on the couch. While Sky looked around the room, doing his best to ignore the pain, Lyra hurried to her closet to get medical supplies. She returned with a bottle of disinfectant and a box of bandages and cotton balls. “Okay, we’ll start with disinfecting that cut.” she said. “Can you turn so that your right wing is facing me?”

Sky did as he was told, and using her magic, Lyra squirted some disinfectant onto a cotton ball. “This might sting a little.” she warned. Sky held his breath and winced a bit as Lyra gently cleaned off the cut. She then pulled a long bandage out of the box, and carefully wrapped it around Sky’s top feather. “Does that feel better?” she asked sweetly.

Sky nodded. Lyra smiled, then leaned down and gently kissed the bruise on his shoulder. Sky blushed and felt his heart skip a beat. His shoulder immediately felt so much better, now that Lyra’s soft lips had touched it. “Thanks, Lyra.” he whispered.

“You’re welcome.” Lyra replied with a cute smile. “I thought that might make your shoulder feel better. Do you still want some ice for it?”

Sky thought for a moment. “I think I’ll be okay. A kiss from the most beautiful mare in Equestria is all I need. I…” He paused, trying to gain the courage to say the words. “I love you, Lyra.”

Lyra blushed and smiled warmly. She sat down on the couch next to Sky. “No stallion has ever said that to me before. I’m not going to lie, Sky… I’ve grown to love you, too.”

Sky and Lyra silently gazed into each other’s eyes. Then, without even thinking, they both closed their eyes, leaned in, and felt their lips meet for the first time. Sky felt his heartbeat soar, and his cheeks burn with excited heat. Any pain he had been feeling was now nonexistent. All he could feel or think about was the wonderful feeling of exploring Lyra’s soft lips with his own. Lyra’s natural sweet minty aroma wafted through his nostrils. It was his favorite scent in the world because it belonged to her. He wrapped his front legs around her, his bruised shoulder no longer bothering him. Lyra did the same, and gently ran her hoof through his mane. Lyra then began to lean in, and Sky felt his fur stand on end with delight as Lyra’s warm, soft, fluffy chest brushed against his own. He could imagine that underneath her closed eyelids, Lyra’s beautiful golden eyes were glistening like two bright suns, full of happiness and warmth. After what felt like a wonderful eternity, their lips eventually separated, and Sky slowly opened his eyes to see Lyra gazing back at him with a warm smile.

“Oh, that was lovely.” Lyra whispered. “I’ve wanted to do that ever since we spent that night at the lake together.”

“That really was an amazing night.” Sky agreed. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for a long time too, but I was always worried that you didn’t feel the same way about me.”

“Well, now you have nothing to worry about.” Lyra winked at Sky and put her rear legs across his lap. “I’m here for you, Sky. Our date in the park may not have gone to plan, but getting to share this moment with you was even better.”

Sky rested his head on Lyra’s shoulder. “The feeling is more than mutual, Lyra. Does… this mean we’re a couple now?”

Lyra smiled and nodded. “Yes. Yes, it does. We’re together now, and I’ve never felt happier.”

“Neither have I, Lyra.” Sky agreed. “Neither have I.”

Lyra lifted her lyre out of her saddlebag again. “Would you like me to play Pretty Blue Sky for you now?” she asked.

“Yes, please.” Sky replied happily. “That would be lovely.”

Lyra smiled and began to magically play her lyre. Once again, Sky found himself completely mesmerized by the sound of the gentle golden strings. The most beautiful mare was playing the most beautiful instrument, and best of all, she was his mare now. The song had a calm but uplifting feeling to it, one that made Sky imagine all of the happy days that he and Lyra would share together, with no interference from outside forces. He laid his head on Lyra’s lap and closed his eyes, simply enjoying every second of the song and every second spent in her company. There was no place he’d rather be than with his sweet, cheerful, amazingly talented and beautiful marefriend.

Lyra came to the end of the song, and set her lyre down on the couch. She then leaned down and kissed Sky’s forehead, causing him to open his eyes. He looked up at her and smiled. “That was such a beautiful song.” Sky said softly.

“Thank you, Sky.” Lyra replied with a warm smile. “I’ll admit it, when I was writing the song, I was thinking of you. It was inspired by our first date.”

“Well then, I guess it was fitting that I would be the first one to hear it.” Sky chuckled.

“That’s right.” Lyra winked at Sky. “I’ll perform it at my next show, but for now this song, and our kiss, is between you and me.”

Sky stayed at Lyra’s house for the rest of the afternoon. They shared a romantic dinner, and a few more kisses. Lyra played some more songs for Sky, and showed him some of her anthropology books. When night came, Sky was ready to head home, but Lyra invited him to spend the night with her. “I think it’d be better if you rested until tomorrow.” she advised. “Besides, my bed has room for two!”

Sky grinned. “Oh, good idea! Thank you so much!”

“No problem!” Lyra giggled. She led Sky upstairs to her bedroom. It was a very pretty room, with mint green walls and silk bed sheets. The moonlight shone in from two large windows, illuminating another bookshelf full of more books about music, magic and anthropology. Lyra also had several framed pictures of herself with Bon Bon, Octavia and her Canterlot friends, as well as her diploma from the School for Gifted Unicorns, hanging on the walls. “This is a really nice room you have.” Sky complimented. “I see you like having lots of pictures with your friends.”

“Well, of course I do!” Lyra giggled. “Don’t you?”

“Well, yes, but I guess I never had that many friends to take pictures with.” Sky said thoughtfully. “Not before I moved to Ponyville, anyway.”

Lyra gave Sky a warm hug. “Don’t worry, Sky. I’m sure we’ll have lots of nice pictures together in the future.” She hopped onto her bed and invited Sky to join her. Sky crawled in and snuggled up next to her, and Lyra pulled the soft silk covers over both of them.

“What a day.” Sky sighed happily, as he nuzzled into Lyra’s chest fluff.

Lyra gently smiled and nodded in agreement. “What a day indeed. Good night, Sky. I love you.”

“Good night, Lyra.” Sky whispered. “I love you, too.”

Lyra magically turned the light off, and she and Sky snuggled close to each other in the darkness. Soon they were both sleeping peacefully, enjoying each other’s warmth. Sky may have gotten hurt earlier that day, but Lyra’s love had healed all of his wounds.

Author's Note

The SS Skyra has sailed! :heart:

Chapter 12: The Final Note

The perfect weather continued into the next day as well. After waking up together and brushing their manes, Sky and Lyra walked down the street to the Hay Burger for breakfast.

“I just want to say again, thank you so much for defending me yesterday.” Lyra said sincerely.

“I would have done that for anypony I truly care about.” Sky replied modestly. “I should really be the one thanking you for pulling Noteworthy off of me before things got even uglier.” He chuckled. “You did the same thing to him that Ivory Brushstroke did to Penny Pincher!”

“I guess I did!” Lyra laughed. “But I couldn’t just stand there and be a bystander, could I?”

Sky turned and kissed Lyra’s cheek. “I’m so lucky to have you, Lyra.”

Lyra kissed Sky back. “The feeling is more than mutual, Sky.”

The new couple soon arrived at the Hay Burger. “Do you want to share a waffle sundae?” Sky asked.

“Sure!” Lyra agreed. “We can share a milkshake, too!”

Sky walked up to the door and held it open for Lyra. Lyra blushed and thanked Sky as she walked into the diner, and Sky followed. As one would expect on a Sunday morning, the diner was quite busy and most of the tables were full. As Sky and Lyra looked around for a table, they ran into Octavia, who seemed relieved to see them. “Lyra! Sky!” Octavia exclaimed. “Oh, it’s so good to see you’re all right!”

Lyra quickly figured out what Octavia was referring to. “You heard about the fight yesterday?” she asked.

“Of course, it was on the front page of the papers!” Octavia replied. “It said you two and Noteworthy were involved in a fight at the Ponyville park, and that Noteworthy’s now in the hospital. Royal Riff filled in the missing details for me.”

“So you know why the fight started?” Sky asked.

“Yes, I know.” said Octavia. “It’s absolutely shocking that Noteworthy would act in such a manner. Would you like to sit with me? I’m with Vinyl and Royal, but our table still has room for two more ponies.”

“Sure!” said Lyra. Sky nodded in agreement.

“Splendid!” said Octavia. She led Sky and Lyra to a large table near the center of the diner, where Vinyl Scratch and Royal Riff were seated. Octavia returned to her seat, and Sky and Lyra took two of the three remaining chairs.

“Good to see you’re back on your hooves, Sky!” said Royal. “You feeling all right?”

“Yeah, I’m feeling fine again.” Sky replied. “Though I probably won’t be flying for a few days.” He turned to show his bandaged wing. “Lyra patched it up for me yesterday.”

“Good mare!” Vinyl said with a smile.

“Thanks.” Lyra giggled.

A waitress soon came by to take Sky and Lyra’s orders. They ordered one waffle sundae and one vanilla milkshake, much to the surprise of Octavia. “Are you two sharing?” she asked.

Lyra grinned. “Yep! I didn’t tell you this, but as of yesterday, Sky is my coltfriend! We shared our first kiss after I carried him home.”

“Oh, really? Congratulations, you two!” Octavia exclaimed. “That’s wonderful!”

“Thank you. It really is.” Sky agreed. “Yesterday was a pretty wild day for both of us.”

“I can imagine that!” said Octavia. “But I’m just glad to see that neither of you was seriously hurt.”

“I think I should mention that the fight and everything leading up to it happened because Note was jealous of Sky.” said Royal.

“Really?” Octavia asked. “How do you know that? I mean, I know Noteworthy always liked Lyra, but I never thought he’d be the jealous type. He’s always seemed so confident in his abilities. Conceited, even.”

“Note may seem like one of the most confident ponies around, but he and I have been best friends for a long time, and I can tell you that he’s pretty insecure on the inside.” Royal explained. “He compares himself to others a lot, and he brags about himself to compensate for his insecurity. He got so much worse after the music show.”

“Well, that’s obvious.” Sky remarked. “He went from being just a braggart to being a total asshole.”

“I think I’ll have to agree with you there.” Royal admitted. “I told him to stop focusing on you two, but he wouldn’t listen to me, and now this is the result.”

“I really, really don’t want him in my friend group anymore.” Lyra said firmly.

“Me neither.” Octavia agreed. “Anypony who treats others like that is no friend of mine.”

“Same here.” put in Vinyl. “How about you, Royal?”

Royal thought carefully. “This is going to be really hard for me. I mean, I’ve known him for so long, but he really has changed for the worse. I really want to believe that he’ll learn something from this whole thing, but if not, I guess I’ll have to leave him behind.”

Sky shrugged. “I don’t think he’ll learn anything from this. He’ll probably just be even more angry and mean when he gets out of the hospital.”

“Well, regardless, I think I’ll go there and visit him today, just to see how he’s doing.” said Royal. “Hopefully I can convince him to become a better pony again.”

“Good luck with that.” Lyra scoffed. She turned to Sky. “Octavia, Vinyl and I are going to be having a jam session this afternoon. Do you want to watch?”

“No, I can’t. I’m going to Sugarcoat’s house for lunch today.” Sky replied. “Thanks for the offer, though. I’m sure your music will be great.”

The waffle sundae and vanilla milkshake soon arrived, and Sky and Lyra shared a wonderful breakfast together. A new chapter of their lives was only just beginning.

At one o’clock that afternoon, Sky arrived at Sugarcoat’s house and rang the doorbell. It was a two-story lavender stucco house with royal blue lining, and it was only a few blocks away from the Canterlot train station. Sugarcoat had lived in the house ever since she first moved to Canterlot, so Sky was very familiar with it.

“Hey, Sky!” Sugarcoat said with a smile as she answered the door. She then noticed the large white bandage on Sky’s right wing. “What the hay happened to your wing?!”

“It’s… a long story.” said Sky. “Anyway, what’s for lunch?”

“I made some hayburgers.” Sugarcoat replied. “Hadn’t used the grill in a while. But we’re not eating until you tell me how you hurt your wing.”

“Oh, all right.” Sky conceded. “Can I come in?”

“Of course you can. I wouldn’t have opened the door otherwise.” Sugarcoat quipped. She moved aside to let Sky into her house, and they sat on the couch in the living room. Sky then began to tell his story.

“So yesterday afternoon, Lyra and I went for a walk in the Ponyville park.” Sky explained. “We got some slush and sat down on the bench. She brought her lyre too, and after we finished the slush, she offered to play a song for me. But then that Noteworthy guy showed up.”

“Ugh… him again?” Sugarcoat groaned. “I thought me tearing him apart in the cafe would have been enough. I guess not.”

“Yeah. Anyway, he hurled insults at both of us, and then Lyra really tore into him. Called him out on all his bullshit.” Sky continued. “The shouting match continued for a while, between all of us, and then Noteworthy decided to grab Lyra without her consent.”

“Wow, he really is a horrible pony!” Sugarcoat exclaimed.

“Oh, definitely.” Sky agreed. “Lyra pulled herself away immediately, and I did what any decent pony would do in that situation – I popped him straight in the muzzle.”

Sugarcoat patted Sky on the back. “Good on you, Sky! He deserves that!”

Sky nodded. “Absolutely! He then tried to kick me, and I dove out of the way, but one of his back legs still hit my wing. That’s why it’s bandaged. We continued taking swings at each other, but I’m a lot faster than he is, so I was winning the fight. Then he punched me in the shoulder really hard, which hurt like hell. Lyra then picked Noteworthy up with her magic and threw him through the air! He landed on a park bench and was knocked out! Serves him right!”

“Nice!” Sugarcoat laughed. “He ended up just like Penny Pincher!”

“Yes, indeed! Lyra and I were already saying that.” Sky agreed. “I wasn’t seriously injured in the fight, but my shoulder injury made it too painful to walk. So Lyra carried me on her back, which was really nice.”

“You should be seriously thanking her for that. You’re bigger and heavier than she is, after all.” Sugarcoat remarked.

“I know. I did thank her for it.” Sky replied. “Anyway, she carried me back to her house and sat me down on her couch. She disinfected and bandaged the cut on my wing, and then she surprised me by kissing the bruise on my shoulder! The pain went away just like that, and I didn’t even need an ice pack!”

“She must really love you then.” Sugarcoat giggled.

Sky blushed. “Yeah. She does. We confessed our feelings for each other after she kissed my shoulder. And we had our first real kiss after that, so she’s my marefriend now!”

Sugarcoat smiled warmly. “I’m happy everything worked out well between you and Lyra, but the thought of you in a relationship will take a while for me to get used to.”

“It’s all right, Sugar.” Sky said kindly. “I was always your quiet little cousin, after all. Well, younger by one year, but you know what I mean.”

“Exactly. When we were young, I was always the one who spoke for you.” said Sugarcoat. “It really is amazing how far you’ve come. I’m proud of you, Sky.”

“Aww, thanks, Sugar!” Sky wrapped his front legs around Sugarcoat and hugged her tightly. Sugarcoat reciprocated the hug.

“So… how about lunch?” Sky asked when he and Sugarcoat let go of each other.

“Sure thing!” Sugarcoat replied. “The burgers aren’t getting any fresher. They’re sitting on the kitchen table.”

Sugarcoat led Sky into the kitchen, where a plate of four hayburgers with lettuce sat on the table. “I made two for each of us. Is that enough for you?” Sugarcoat asked.

“Of course it is. I’m not that piggy!” Sky laughed.

“Good.” Sugarcoat and Sky sat down at the table, and each took two burgers. “Mmm, these are really good!” Sky said as he bit into one.

“I’m glad you like them!” said Sugarcoat. “They turned out better than I thought they would.”

“You’re a better cook than me for sure.” said Sky. “Anyway, how have things been going for you as of late?”

“The explosives factory has been really busy this week.” Sugarcoat replied. “We’ve been getting a ton of orders for fireworks and dynamite. Keeping all the shipments organized is becoming a real pain.”

“As is making sure none of them explode, I’m sure.” Sky chuckled.

“We have stringent safety measures put in place.” Sugarcoat said bluntly. “There have been zero accidents since I started working there.”

“Well, that’s good.” said Sky. “I’m sure you’re doing an amazing job as the boss.”

“All of the workers say I am.” Sugarcoat replied. “I run a tight ship. No messing around, no wasting time. Since I got my promotion, every shipment has been delivered safely and on time. I’ve got a spotless record that I don’t intend to break.”

Sky grinned. “Awesome! Keep it up! You control both the production and the deliveries, right?”

“Pretty much, yeah.” Sugarcoat replied. “As I said before, the company’s owner barely does anything. I could use a day off, though.”

Sky then had an idea. “Now that Lyra’s my marefriend, you probably want to get to know her better, right? I mean, you only met her once at the cafe.”

“Of course I do.” said Sugarcoat. “I need to know the pony my favorite cousin is dating.”

“Well, how about sometime this week, you take a day off from work and spend it with me and Lyra? All three of us, hanging out together!”

Sugarcoat smiled. “That’s a great idea! There are so many places in Canterlot that we could go to. I’ll take Friday off. It’ll give you time to make plans with Lyra, and it’ll give me a three-day weekend.”

“That’s perfect!” said Sky. “I can’t wait!”

Meanwhile, Royal Riff arrived at Ponyville Hospital and walked up to the front desk. The receptionist asked for his name and who he was visiting.

“I’m Royal Riff. I’m visiting my friend Noteworthy.” Royal replied. “Which room is he in?”

“He’s in room 14.” said the receptionist. She pointed to the hallway on the left. “Go down the west corridor and when you reach the end, take a right.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Royal followed the receptionist’s directions and soon arrived at a door with the number 14 on it. He opened the door and saw Noteworthy laying on a bed at the back of the room. His head was bandaged and his left rear leg was in a cast. Royal slowly walked over to him and sat down on a chair.

“Hi, Note.” he said. “How are you holding up?”

Noteworthy rolled his eyes. “Sky picked a fight with me and then Lyra almost killed me. How do you think I’m holding up?!” he snapped.

Royal was taken aback. “I just wanted to check on you. You know, as a friend.”

“Well, thanks for that.” Noteworthy grunted. “At least you haven’t turned on me, unlike a certain mint green unicorn that we both know.”

Royal sighed. “About that… I hate to break it to you, but this whole situation is your fault. None of this would have happened if you weren’t such a jerk to Sky. It’s no wonder Lyra doesn’t want to be friends with you anymore.”

Noteworthy growled. “I was always nice to Lyra. We always worked well together. I was destined to be her coltfriend. And then Sky Scraper came into the picture, and ruined everything for me!”

“I understand that you’re frustrated about Lyra liking Sky more than you.” said Royal. “And that’s okay. What’s not okay is insulting Sky every time you see him, and grabbing Lyra without her consent. I’m your friend and I want to stand by you, but the way you’ve been acting lately is inexcusable.”

“If you’re just going to berate me, please leave.” Noteworthy retorted. “I’m in no mood for flak from my so-called friend.”

Royal sighed again. “I’m not giving you flak. I’m trying to help you learn from your mistakes and become a better pony.”

“What’s there to learn?” Noteworthy learned. “All I’ve learned is that you, Lyra and the others have no loyalty. You’ve chosen a lonely outsider over me, and I won’t stand for it. When I get released from this hospital, I’m moving out of Ponyville. I have no place in this town anymore.”

“Well, after what you did yesterday, I’d say you’re right about the last part.” said Royal. “Octavia and Vinyl also said they don’t want to be friends with you anymore. And at this point, I think you’ve lost me, too.”

“Then go away.” Noteworthy grumbled. “I don’t care to see you or any of my former friends ever again.”

Royal shook his head. He didn’t want to leave his best friend behind like this, but Noteworthy’s refusal to listen had left him with no other choice. He silently left the room, leaving Noteworthy with nothing but his own misguided anger for company.

For Sky and Lyra, a wonderful new chapter was beginning. But for Noteworthy, it was the end of the line.

Chapter 13: Sky's Favorite Mares

Now that Sky and Lyra were officially a couple, it wasn’t long before their friends found out. Emerald was very happy for Sky, and Sky thanked him and Tree Hugger for their support. Bon Bon was excited for Lyra, though a bit jealous that she didn’t have her own special somepony. As for Noteworthy, he wouldn’t be bothering Sky or Lyra ever again. As soon as he was released from the hospital, he sold his house and moved to Manehattan, presumably never to return.

All in all, it was a fun week for Sky and Lyra. They had planned to meet up with Lyra’s Canterlot friends at the slush place, but Lemon Hearts and Moondancer were delayed in the Crystal Empire. Nonetheless, Sky and Lyra still brought slush for Donald and Douglas, as well as Allen Wrench and Silver Chisel, two other construction ponies who had joined the project. With all four of them working hard, and Sky supervising, the extension was coming along very nicely indeed. Orpheus and Spearmint were very pleased with the work so far, and were encouraging of their daughter’s new relationship. “I had my doubts about you at first, but you’ve really grown on me over this past month.” Spearmint said to Sky. “Treat my daughter like the lovely lady that she is and you’ll do wonderfully.”

“Thank you, Spearmint.” Sky said modestly. “Your praise means a lot to me.”

On Friday morning, Sky and Lyra rode the train up to Canterlot. A few days ago, Sky had asked Lyra about spending a day out with Sugarcoat, and Lyra had excitedly agreed.

“Sugar’s booked a tour of Canterlot Castle for us.” Sky told Lyra on the train. “I’ve always wanted to see the inside of it. It’s an amazing building!”

“It really is!” Lyra agreed. “Plus, I think Princess Celestia herself is the one who guides the tours. It’ll be so great to see my old teacher again!”

“Oh, that’s right!” Sky exclaimed. “I’ve never met her before. It’s going to be surreal meeting the ruler of Equestria for the first time!”

“Everypony says that when they meet the Royal Sisters for the first time.” Lyra giggled. “There’s no reason to be nervous, though. Celestia may be the ruler of Equestria, but she’s kind and welcoming to pretty much everypony!” Lyra snuggled up to Sky, and Sky put his head on top of hers.

The train soon arrived in Canterlot, and Sky and Lyra got off. Sugarcoat was waiting for them on the platform. “Sky! Lyra!” she called. “It’s great to see the two of you!” The trio exchanged a group hug. “Ready to go to the castle?”

“You bet we are!” Sky said with a smile. “Thanks so much for booking the tour!”

“No problem!” Sugarcoat replied. “What better place to spend the morning than the most prestigious building in Canterlot?”

The castle was only a few blocks away from the train station, so it didn’t take long for Sky, Lyra and Sugarcoat to get there. Princess Celestia was waiting for them at the entrance. The tall white alicorn towered over them, and her naturally flowing mane and tail billowed in the summer breeze. “It’s such an honor to meet you, Your Highness.” Sky said as he bowed down to her.

Celestia laughed. “Oh, you don’t have to bow to me. Showing you around the castle today will be my pleasure.” Surprised, Sky stood back up again.

Celestia then turned to Lyra and gave her a warm hug. “It’s so lovely to see you again, Lyra Heartstrings.” she said kindly. “You were both a wonderful student and a wonderful friend. How have you been faring lately? It’s been far too long since we last spoke.”

Lyra smiled. “I’ve been doing great, thanks! I really should introduce you to the ponies I’m with today.” She beckoned for Sky and Sugarcoat to come join her. “This is my coltfriend Sky Scraper, and his cousin Sugarcoat.”

“Hi.” Sky said with a nervous smile.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you two as well.” said Celestia. “Sky, how long ago did you and Lyra meet?”

“We met at the start of the summer, not too long after I moved to Ponyville.” Sky replied. “I used to live in Manehattan. I’m an architect, by the way.”

“Several years ago, he was the top student at the Canterlot School of Architecture.” Sugarcoat added. “Maybe you remember him?”

“Oh yes, the School of Architecture!” Celestia recalled. “I’m familiar with the school, but I never got to properly meet any of the students. This castle has gone through a few rebuilds over time, but I believe the current building was designed by the School of Architecture’s founder. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this tour! Are all three of you ready to go in?”

Sky, Lyra and Sugarcoat all nodded, and Celestia led them into the castle’s main hall. It was lined with many colorful stained glass windows, each one depicting a major event in Equestrian history. “These windows are commemorative pieces, and many of them have existed for longer than this castle.” Celestia explained. “Each time the castle was rebuilt, the stained glass windows had to be removed very carefully from the old building and stored in a maximum-security vault until a new castle was built. Then, when the new castle was ready, the windows had to be carefully reinstalled. It always took quite a few ponies and many long days of work to do that.”

“That’s one of the most arduous jobs I’ve ever heard of!” Sugarcoat remarked. “It’s amazing that so many of them are still in one piece.”

“Unfortunately, one window did break the last time the castle was rebuilt.” Celestia admitted. “But I was able to get a replica made.”

“Which one was it?” Sky asked.

“This one.” Celestia pointed to a window depicting Nightmare Moon’s banishment. “Seeing this window always brings back some painful memories for me, but the chronicle of Equestria’s history would be incomplete without it.”

“I can imagine that.” Lyra agreed. “Speaking of Luna, where is she?”

“She’s fast asleep in her tower.” Celestia replied. “Last night was quite a rough one for her, I’m afraid. I’m sorry you probably won’t get a chance to see her.”

“Oh, that’s a shame.” said Sky. “It would have been cool to meet her outside of my dreams for once.”

“You’re welcome to come back another day if you wish.” Celestia offered. “Any of my former students and their friends will always be welcome here.”

Sky smiled. “Wow, that’s nice! Thank you!” Celestia smiled and winked in response.

Lyra gave Sky a gentle nudge. “See, I told you!”

“Anyway, we recently started replacing some of the regular windows at the end of the hall with new stained glass ones, to commemorate the achievements of Twilight Sparkle and her friends.” Celestia went on. She stopped to let Sky, Lyra and Sugarcoat admire some of the newer windows. The most impressive window was the one that depicted Twilight’s coronation. “I was so shocked when I found out Twilight had become a princess!” Lyra recalled with a laugh. “I didn’t believe it until I got invited to the coronation!”

Soon they entered the throne room, a grand space with a red carpet, carved columns, and high ceilings. Sky had never seen a room quite so vast and spacious as this one. He, Lyra and Sugarcoat spent several minutes looking around. There were a few more stained glass windows in the throne room, and Sky’s favorite was the one that showed the six classical planets known to ancient ponies: Ultus, a small rocky planet extremely close to the sun; Jalis, another small rocky planet close to the sun; Kovestum, a hot and heavily cratered red planet; Renaia, the life-harboring planet on which Equestria is located; Wistrol, a rocky planet with a hazy purple atmosphere and a ring; and Doukall, a huge gas giant and the largest planet in the system. The other four giant planets weren’t shown on the window, but it was a nice design to look at nonetheless. Sky had always found astronomy interesting, even though he hadn’t pursued a career related to it.

“Do you mind if we take a picture in front of your throne?” Lyra asked Celestia.

“Of course I don’t! Go right ahead!” Celestia replied with a smile. “Do you need me to hold the camera?”

“If you would, that’d be great! Thanks!” Lyra pulled her camera out of her saddlebag and gave it to Celestia. She then called to Sky and Sugarcoat, who were busy admiring the windows and columns. Sky and Sugarcoat flew over and stood on either side of Lyra.

“I think you should be in the middle, Sky.” Lyra suggested. “I mean, Sugarcoat and I only met through you.”

“True!” Sky agreed. He let Lyra swap places with him and nudge him directly in front of Celestia’s throne.

“Are you ready?” Celestia asked, levitating the camera in the air.

“Ready!” Lyra replied. All three smiled their biggest smiles, and Celestia took the photo.

After that, Celestia led them down another corridor into the ballroom. This too was a grand room, beautifully furnished and painted, with large windows providing a great view of the west courtyard, and golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. “Wow, this room is beautiful!” Sky remarked. “What kinds of ceremonies are held in here?”

“High-society parties and weddings, mainly.” Celestia replied. “Speaking of which, I think Lyra has a good wedding story to tell…”

“Are you talking about Shining Armor and Princess Cadance’s wedding?” Lyra asked. Celestia nodded.

“Oh yeah, that’s a crazy story!” Lyra agreed. She turned to Sky and Sugarcoat. “You probably heard about Princess Cadance’s wedding a few years ago, didn’t you?”

“How could we not?” Sugarcoat said bluntly. “When a princess gets married, it’s all over the news.”

“Well, fun fact: I was one of Cadance’s bridesmaids.” Lyra said with a smile. “Along with two of my friends, Minuette and Twinkleshine.”

“Really?” Sky exclaimed. “You were there when the big changeling invasion happened? I read all about that in the papers.”

“Yep!” Lyra replied. “And apparently, I was temporarily brainwashed by the changeling queen. That’s what Celestia told me, anyway. I don’t actually remember.”

“What happened was that Queen Chrysalis impersonated Princess Cadance as part of her plan to take over Canterlot.” Celestia explained. “When Twilight Sparkle grew suspicious, Chrysalis banished her to a cave beneath the castle, where she had also trapped the real Cadance. She also brainwashed Cadance’s three bridesmaids to guard the cave. But Twilight and Cadance were very clever, and escaped by distracting the bridesmaids with a bouquet of flowers.”

Sky was shocked by the story. “I can’t believe that happened to you, Lyra!” he said incredulously.

“I couldn’t believe it either!” Lyra agreed. “One minute, I was arranging decorations with my friends. The next thing I know, I’m waking up in the courtyard that evening, and the wedding reception is about to start. I couldn’t remember anything in between until Celestia told me.”

“I didn’t tell her what had happened until the next day.” Celestia added with a wink. “I thought I’d let her enjoy the party with her friends first.”

Lyra smiled and nodded. “It was a really fun evening. There’s probably a picture of it in here somewhere.” She looked around the expansive ballroom and then spotted it on the adjacent wall, between two of the large windows overlooking the courtyard. She led Sky and Sugarcoat over to look at it. Everypony in the picture looked so happy, singing and dancing in the courtyard while rainbow confetti fell and Vinyl Scratch worked her turntables. “There I am!” Lyra exclaimed as she pointed to herself in the picture. She was wearing a yellow silk dress, as well as three green flowers in her mane and a necklace made of pink pearls.

“You look absolutely beautiful, Lyra.” Sky said warmly. “Ah, I wish I could have been there to dance with you.”

Lyra giggled. “Aw, Sky… why are you always buttering me up like that?”

Sky winked at Lyra. “Because I love you.” He wrapped his front legs around Lyra and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Lyra giggled again, then hugged and kissed him back.

“Well, I guess I’m a third wheel now.” Sugarcoat quipped.

After that, the tour continued through some of the smaller rooms in the castle, with Celestia explaining the purpose of each room. Certain parts of the castle weren’t open to the public, but Sky, Lyra and Sugarcoat still managed to see a lot. During the tour, Lyra and Celestia reminisced about old times at the School for Gifted Unicorns. Sky and Sugarcoat got to hear many stories from Lyra’s time at the school, from her entrance exam to her graduation. “You never told me you graduated third in your class!” Sky remarked. “That’s so impressive!”

“Well, I didn’t remember exactly what rank I was.” Lyra chuckled. “I just knew I wasn’t first – that was Twilight.”

“Fortunately I still remembered.” Celestia said with a smile. “Twilight and Moondancer were comfortably the top two, but you were still very good. Your musical abilities never failed to impress me.”

“I can definitely attest to that!” Sky agreed.

The tour concluded in the telescope observatory at the opposite end of the castle. It was located at the top of one of the castle’s many towers. “The spiral staircase goes all the way to the top, but I’d rather not walk up three hundred steps.” said Celestia. “Let’s take the elevator.” She pushed the button for the gold elevator in the center of the tower, and the four ponies got in. The elevator shot upward at a rapid rate, and in a matter of seconds, they were at the top. “This is a really fast elevator!” Sky remarked.

Celestia nodded. “We have brand-new express elevators in every tower. They were installed two years ago after the old one in Luna’s tower got stuck. My sister teleported herself out, but it was another hour before the elevator technician arrived. He advised us to simply replace all the old elevators, so we did.”

“Wow. I’ve never been stuck in an elevator myself, but being an architect, I’ve heard plenty of stories.” said Sky.

Lyra looked around the observatory. It was a round balcony with two high-tech telescopes, one on each side, and a great view of the city below. “I’ve been in this castle several times, but I’ve never been up here before.” she commented. “The view is amazing! You can see the whole city from here!”

“Plus, this tower is much bigger than it looks from the outside.” Sugarcoat added.

Celestia grinned. “Isn’t it? I often come up to this observatory just to enjoy the view. It’s a wonderful place to relax.”

Models of the 10 main planets in the solar system were hanging from the ceiling. This included not only the six classical planets, but also the four outer giants that were discovered later: Merlanos, a big green gas giant with lots of rings; Ferlatta, a white ice giant with an extreme axial tilt; Olyria, a beautiful blue ice giant with glowing yellow rings; and Seforia, a cold and stormy purple ice giant. “I love the models of the planets!” said Sky. “Who made them?”

“They were made by a specially trained craftsmare about a hundred years ago.” Celestia replied. “She put so much time, love and care into making them. Each one is beautifully painted and the scale is almost perfect. Which one’s your favorite? Besides Renaia, of course.”

“Olyria, definitely!” said Sky. “Olyria’s always been my favorite planet. I love its bright blue color, and the way its rings glow is so cool!”

“It’s indeed the most beautiful planet in our system.” Celestia agreed. “It’s always a joy to observe with a telescope."

“Do you mind if I look through one of the telescopes now?” Sky asked.

“In the middle of the day?!” Sugarcoat laughed. “Nopony does that!”

“Indeed, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Celestia chuckled. “The sun is quite high in the sky right now. Twilight once pointed her telescope directly at the sun by accident, and had to wear an eyepatch for several days.”

“Seriously? Jeez! Yeah, probably not a good idea then. Forget I asked that.” Sky said sheepishly.

“Can you take a picture of us near the balcony?” asked Lyra.

“Certainly!” Celestia said with a smile. Lyra handed her the camera, and went back to stand with Sky and Sugarcoat. They stood together in front of the railing and once again smiled their biggest smiles. Celestia took the photo, and then handed the camera back to Lyra. “Here you go! Anyway, this marks the end of our tour, but you’re free to stick around here for a bit longer if you’d like. Otherwise, I’ll lead you back to the throne room. We also have a gift shop next door, as well as the sculpture gardens and the hedge maze.”

“What kind of things does the gift shop sell?” Sky asked.

“Oh, all kinds of things, really.” said Celestia. “Plushies of me and the other princesses, some history and astronomy books, models of various buildings in Canterlot, novelty T-shirts, et cetera. It’s got something for everypony.”

“In that case, I’d love to stop by there!” said Sky. He turned to his marefriend and his cousin. “What about you?”

“Sure!” said Sugarcoat. “I’m sure I can find a good book there.”

“Me too!” said Lyra. “Can we also walk through the sculpture garden on our way out? I’ve wanted to show it to you for a while.”

“Of course we can!” said Sky. “You can lead the way!”

“I guess you can take us back downstairs now.” Sugarcoat said to Celestia. “We shouldn’t linger around here for too long.”

“Certainly.” said Celestia. With that, she led Sky, Lyra and Sugarcoat back down to the throne room.

“Thank you so much for giving us a tour!” said Sugarcoat.

“It was an honor meeting you for the first time.” added Sky.

“The honor was mine.” Celestia said kindly. “I always enjoy giving ponies tours of our magnificent castle.”

Sky, Lyra and Sugarcoat bid farewell to Celestia and exited the castle via the main hall, the same way they had come in. They then headed to the gift shop, a much smaller building right next door. Inside, they found several shelves lined with books, toys, plushies, shirts and models. “Wow, Celestia wasn’t kidding when she said this place has something for everypony!” Sky remarked.

Lyra walked over to the plushie shelf, which was stocked with plushies of Celestia, Luna, Cadance and Twilight. “Twilight says the head on hers is too big.” Lyra giggled, picking up one of the Twilights with her magic. “Imagine the look on her face when she finds out I bought one!”

“So you’re buying a plushie of your foalhood friend just for that reason?” Sugarcoat inquired.

Lyra grinned. “Yep!”

Sugarcoat tilted her head to examine the plushie. “Well, the head is kind of fat compared to the rest of the body, I’ll give her that.”

Sky flew up to the next shelf over and picked up a box containing a solar system mobile. “I had something like this when I was a colt, but it broke a long time ago. I figure it’s time I got a replacement.”

“Good idea.” said Sugarcoat. “I remember the old one you had, it looked nice until the strings started to come loose.”

“Yeah.” Sky agreed. “But it was pretty cheap anyway. This one here looks a lot fancier.”

“Definitely. Anyway, I’m going to go see if there are any good books here.” said Sugarcoat. “Do you two want to come with me?”

“Sure!” said Lyra. She and Sky followed Sugarcoat over to the books section.

“Stargazing is a hobby I’ve been thinking of taking up for a while.” Sugarcoat explained as she scanned a shelf of astronomy books. “I still need to get a good telescope, though.” She pulled a somewhat thick book off the shelf. It was an in-depth guide to the planets of the solar system and beyond. “Ooh, this looks like a good one! I’ll buy it.”

“That looks like a great book!” Sky agreed. He then pulled out a book from another shelf. “Between the Lines: How Equestria’s Railways Were Built… I think I’ll get this one!” Lyra, meanwhile, couldn’t find a book about music or anthropology that she didn’t already own.

“There’s a lot of nice stuff here, but just remember that the more we buy, the more we have to carry with us this afternoon.” Sugarcoat advised.

“True.” said Lyra. “I think I’ll also buy this model kit of my old school, though. I can build it in my spare time.”

All together, their haul consisted of two books, a Twilight plushie, a solar system mobile, and a model kit of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. They each paid for their own items, and Sky offered to carry the bag as they headed out of the gift shop and into the sculpture gardens.

The sculpture gardens consisted of many stone and marble statues of ponies and other creatures. The lush green grass was perfectly trimmed, and the dirt paths were very smooth and comfortable to walk on. Lyra put her leg around Sky’s shoulders. “I’ve been wanting to show you this place ever since our first date!” she said with a smile. “What do you think?”

Sky placed the bag on the ground so that he could talk. “It’s beautiful!” he replied. “The statues are really impressive, and whoever is in charge of these gardens maintains them really well.”

“Oh, definitely!” Lyra agreed. “We can walk around the main path, maybe take some pictures, and then have lunch somewhere. How does that sound?”

“Sounds good to me.” said Sugarcoat. “As long as we don’t do the hedge maze. I never understood the appeal of those.”

“Me neither.” Sky chuckled. He picked up the bag again, and let Lyra lead the way along the main path.

The main path was the wide loop that circled around the outside of the garden. Part of it ran along the edge of the mountain, and came with spectacular views of the countryside below. Sky, Lyra and Sugarcoat took several pictures of each other during their walk, including a few where Lyra made Sky strike a pose to match a particular sculpture. Sky complied, but he would only do so for Lyra.

“That was a lot of fun!” Sky said when they came back to where they had started. “I got to meet Celestia, I picked up some cool stuff from the gift shop, and I got to take a nice walk!”

Lyra winked at Sky. “And you got to do it all with your two favorite mares!”

“That’s right!” Sky pulled Lyra and Sugarcoat into a group hug. He then felt his stomach growl. “Anyway, where do you girls want to have lunch? I’m getting hungry.”

“How about the Mountainside Cafe?” Sugarcoat suggested. “It’s kind of a hike from here, but the food is delicious.”

“Yeah, that’s a great place!” Lyra agreed.

“I’ve never heard of it before, but I’ll take your word for it!” said Sky.

“You’ll like it.” said Sugarcoat. “They have outdoor seating on the edge of the mountain. With railings, of course.”

“That sounds awesome!” Sky exclaimed. “Let’s go there!”

With that, the trio left the Canterlot Castle grounds and set off down the road to the cafe.

“Wow, that lunch really filled me up.” Sky remarked as he departed the Mountainside Cafe with his marefriend and cousin. “Best food I’ve ever had in this city, though. I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of this place before!”

“Because it opened the year after you moved to Manehattan.” said Sugarcoat. “But at least you know about it now.”

“That’s right! Thanks for recommending it!” Sky replied. “Anyway, where do you want to go next?”

Lyra smiled. “Well, I actually had a surprise planned for this afternoon, if you’re interested…”

Sky’s ears perked up. “Ooh, what is it?”

Lyra magically opened her saddlebag and pulled out three tickets. “Parish Nandermane, a friend of my parents, is performing in a classical concert this afternoon. I got tickets for all of us!”

“Oh, that sounds great!” said Sky. “When does it start?”

“In about half an hour.” Lyra replied. “The concert hall isn’t too far away from here, though.”

Sugarcoat nodded. “It’s on the Jade Parkway. So it’ll be another nice, scenic walk.”

The Jade Parkway was a major road in Canterlot that was lined on both sides with lush green trees. No other road in the city was quite as picturesque. “You know, it’s always impressed me that a city built into the side of a mountain can have so much greenery.” Sky commented as he strolled along the parkway.

Lyra nodded in agreement. “This is pretty much the only spot on the mountain with any plant life. The rest of it is just bare. The unicorns who founded the city definitely picked the right spot!”

“The unicorns who founded the city needed to be able to grow their own crops instead of relying on the earth ponies.” Sugarcoat added. “And Princess Celestia always encourages ponies to build around the trees and bushes rather than over them.”

“That’s a really good policy.” Sky agreed.

The trio soon reached the concert hall, where many other ponies were filing in. Lyra showed her ticket to the guard pony at the entrance and was allowed to enter. Sugarcoat and Sky followed suit.

“Where should we sit?” Sky asked as he looked around for three consecutive empty seats.

“How about right here?” Sugarcoat suggested, pointing to three empty seats in one of the middle rows. “Not too close to the front, and not too close to the back.”

“Perfect!” said Lyra. She and Sky followed Sugarcoat into the twelfth row. Sky took the middle seat, with Lyra to his right and Sugarcoat to his left. Then they sat back and waited for the concert to begin.

Within a few minutes, a well-dressed unicorn stallion stepped out onto the stage. “Ladies and gentlecolts,” he said in an upper-class voice, “you are all gathered here today for a performance from three of the most accomplished musicians in Equestria. Please welcome Parish Nandermane, Beauty Brass and Frederic Horseshoepin.” The audience gave understated applause as the curtains opened to reveal a trio of earth ponies. One was a purple stallion with a harp, the second was a blue mare with a brass instrument, and the third was a gray stallion sitting in front of a piano.

“Which one is friends with your parents?” Sky whispered to Lyra.

“Parish? He’s the one with the harp.” Lyra replied. “He and my dad went to music school together, and they performed together a bunch of times. They had sort of a friendly rivalry since they were both harpists.”

“Your dad can play both the harp and the lyre?” Sky asked.

“Well, yeah, they’re pretty similar instruments.” said Lyra. “I can play both too, but I prefer the lyre because it’s easier to carry around with me.”

“Shhh, they’re about to start playing!” Sugarcoat hissed.

Sky and Lyra fell silent and turned their attention to the stage. The lights dimmed, and the three musicians began to play a slow classical symphony.

At first, Sky was enjoying the performance. The sound of the harp was smoother than melted butter. But after about ten minutes, he began to feel bored and tired. He thought classical symphonies were supposed to start slow but get more lively. In addition, he could feel his body digesting the large lunch he’d eaten at the Mountainside Cafe. He was losing energy and struggling to pay attention. Eventually, he couldn’t keep his head upright any longer, and rested it on Lyra’s shoulder. He then felt his eyelids beginning to close. The room was warm and dark, and Lyra’s shoulder made such a nice, soft pillow…

The next thing Sky knew, he was waking up to the sound of hooves clapping. He looked up at the stage and saw Parish taking a bow. Sky had no idea how much time had passed, and struggled to regain his senses.

“That was so good!” Lyra exclaimed. “What did you think of it, Sky?”

Sky shook his head. “What did I think of what?”

“The concert, Sky.” Lyra replied. “Did you like it?”

“It was, um… pretty good, I guess…” Sky said slowly.

“You fell asleep ten minutes in!” Sugarcoat laughed. “I saw you. You were using Lyra’s shoulder as a pillow.”

Sky went red with embarrassment. “Oh. Yeah…”

“You were sleeping on my shoulder?” Lyra asked, trying to suppress a laugh. “I didn’t even notice! You missed a really great performance, though.”

Sky sighed. “I’m sorry… the room was dark and the music was so slow. And I’d just had a large lunch.”

Lyra smiled. “You don’t need to apologize, Sky. It’s all right. I hope my shoulder made a good pillow for you.”

“Of course it did, Lyra.” Sky replied. “You are the pony I love the most, after all.” He leaned over and gave Lyra another kiss.

Sugarcoat looked up at the clock. “You were asleep for 46 minutes, Sky.” she quickly calculated. “That’s a good long nap. I hope you enjoyed it.”

“I’d say I did, yes.” said Sky. He followed Lyra and Sugarcoat out the theater’s exit, and squinted as the outdoor light hit him again.

“Anyway, that’s pretty much everything I wanted to do today.” said Lyra. “Visiting the castle grounds was the main thing. Thank you so much for booking the tour, Sugarcoat.”

“You’re more than welcome.” Sugarcoat replied. “And thank you for getting us tickets to the concert.”

“No problem!” said Lyra. “And thank you, Sky, for suggesting that we spend today together, and for being such a lovely coltfriend.”

“It’s all my pleasure.” Sky said with a warm smile as Lyra hugged and kissed him. “Anyway, I guess we’ll start heading home now. What a great day this was!”

Sky, Lyra and Sugarcoat walked back the way they had come, until they reached Sugarcoat’s house. Sky said goodbye to his cousin, and he and Lyra trotted down to the train station to catch the next train into Ponyville. The train soon arrived, and Sky and Lyra found seats on the far side of the carriage. The train blew its whistle, and then pulled out of the station and began to descend the mountain. Sky rested his chin on Lyra’s shoulder, and they looked out the window together. It had been a great day for the two of them – the first of many, they were sure.

Author's Note

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! It feels so good to have this story back in action! :yay:

I also included my headcanon of the Equestrian solar system in this chapter. Hopefully you found that interesting.

Chapter 6: A New Rivalry

It was a warm and sunny afternoon, and Sky was brimming with optimism and confidence. Three days ago, he had been captivated by Lyra’s performances at the music show, and having dinner with Lyra and her friends afterward was the icing on the cake.

Today, he was looking forward to another great day. He had just finished drawing up two possible floor plans for the extension, and was heading to Canterlot to show them to Lyra’s parents. He had estimated the cost of each plan too, and felt that Orpheus and Spearmint were sure to be impressed by his work. With the plans neatly rolled up in his saddlebag, he trotted onto the platform of the Ponyville train station and found that the train was already there waiting for him. He boarded the first coach with a smile on his face.

To Sky’s pleasant surprise, the train was not very full. Since he could sit almost anywhere he wanted, he chose a seat in the front corner of the coach, next to a nice big window. He took off his saddlebag and leaned back in the nice cushy seat. But just as he did so, another stallion strutted in and sat down right next to him. The train then began moving out the station.

“Good afternoon, Sky!” Noteworthy said cheerfully. “How are you, my friend?”

Sky remembered Noteworthy as the rather boastful saxophone player from the music show. “Oh, hey, Noteworthy.” Sky said. “I wasn’t expecting to run into you here. I’m having a pretty good day, though. What about you?”

“Same here.” Noteworthy replied. “It’s a nice day! You headed to Canterlot?”

Sky was a bit perturbed by Noteworthy’s overly friendly demeanor, especially since it was very different from the arrogant Noteworthy he had met at the music show. “Well… yes, of course. You too?”

“Yes, I am!” said Noteworthy. “I’m going to the music shop to buy some new keys for my sax. Routine maintenance. What are your plans for this afternoon?”

“I’m visiting Lyra’s parents.” Sky replied. “I’ve made a couple of floor plans for their extension project. Lyra told me she’d be there as well, so that’s nice.”

Noteworthy nodded, then grimaced. “Speaking of Lyra, I’ve got some news for you. You’re not going to like it, but you need to know.”

Sky felt his heart skip a beat. “What is it?” he asked, feeling very confused.

“Well, you probably weren’t able to figure this out, but I’ve had my eye on Lyra for quite some time now.” said Noteworthy. “We’ve been great friends for many years, and I’m getting really close to making my move.” Noteworthy narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know what feelings you might have for Lyra, but I’ll give you some advice: Stay out of my way. Sure, you might think that working with her parents for a little while will give you a chance with her, but it won’t. It’s just a business contract, nothing more. I wouldn’t be surprised if after this thing is completed, Lyra doesn’t talk to you ever again. She’ll go back to spending time with her real friends, like me.”

Sky glared at Noteworthy. “What the hay are you talking about?!” he exclaimed. “Lyra is a real friend to me. Why else would she invite me to come backstage with her at the music show? And why do you think she recommended me to her parents in the first place? Because she likes me.”

Noteworthy smirked. “Sure, keep telling yourself that. You only showed up in town a few weeks ago, and you barely know any ponies here. You know nothing about music or anything else that Lyra’s interested in. A lonely stallion like you has nothing to offer to a successful and popular mare like her.” Noteworthy puffed his chest out with pride. “I, on the other hand, am also a successful and popular musician. I’ve been working with her for years, and I know her very well. I never boast, but you clearly don’t stand a chance against me.”

“You’re full of horseapples!” Sky spluttered. “You don’t know me at all! I graduated from the Canterlot School of Architecture, and I’ve designed buildings in Manehattan. I have a nice house by the lake, and I’m not lonely! I’m sure Lyra will prefer a kind and honest pony like me, over an arrogant jerk like you!”

Noteworthy laughed smugly. “Again, I’ve known Lyra much longer than you, and I have much more in common with her. You may talk yourself up as a nice pony, but you just don’t have the charm of a jazz musician like me. You can delude yourself all you want, but I know better.”

The train steamed into the Canterlot station. “Well, it was nice talking to you,” Noteworthy said snidely, “but I’ve got to go. Have a nice afternoon, but remember what I said.” And with that, Noteworthy quickly got off the train, leaving Sky alone.

Sky didn’t feel optimistic or confident anymore. He felt anger and resentment boiling up within him. Noteworthy was now a bitter rival in his mind, but Sky couldn’t help but worry that Noteworthy had made some valid points. What if Lyra wasn’t truly interested in being friends with him? What if he hadn’t made as much progress with Lyra as he thought he had? Maybe he really didn’t have anything to offer her.

Sky slowly disembarked the train and walked down the street, feeling considerably less sure of himself than before.

Sky eventually arrived at Lyra’s parents’ house, but he didn’t feel excited. After what Noteworthy said to him, he now just wanted to get the visit over with, and go home as soon as he could. He trudged up the front steps, rang the doorbell, and waited awkwardly for somepony to answer.

To his surprise, the pony who answered the door was not Orpheus, Spearmint or Lyra. She was a younger unicorn mare with a light green coat, magenta eyes, and a pink mane styled exactly like Lyra’s. Sky stood in silence for a moment before saying, “You’re not Lyra…”

The mare looked offended. “No. I’m not Lyra.” she said flatly. “I’m her little sister, Minty Bubblegum. Who are you?”

“I’m Sky Scraper.” said Sky. “I’m the architect that your parents hired. Are they… here right now?”

“They went shopping with Lyra.” Minty replied. “They’ll be back soon. In the meantime, I guess you can come in.”

“All right. Thanks.” Sky followed Minty into the house. Minty sat down at one end of the couch, and Sky sat at the other.

“So… what brought you here today?” Minty asked.

“Oh, I just… finished up a couple of floor plans for the extension.” said Sky. “That’s all.”

“I see.” said Minty. “Are you here to show them to my parents?”

“Yeah.” Sky replied.

“You know, for a pony with such an impressive resume, you’re awfully shy.” Minty remarked. “Lyra said you designed buildings in Manehattan.”

“Well, yeah, I did.” Sky replied. “Before I moved to Ponyville. I guess I’ve always been on the quiet side, really. But, um… what do you do for a living?”

“I live in Ponyville, and I run a bubblegum shop on the west side of town.” Minty explained. “I make and sell 39 different flavors of gum!” She pointed to her cutie mark, a colorful gumball machine.

“Oh, that’s nice.” said Sky. “Do you… have a favorite flavor?”

“That’s a tough one.” said Minty. “Probably either sweet mint or watermelon. You?”

“I like sweet mint too.” Sky agreed. “It’s nice and fresh, and tastes great.”

At that moment, the door opened and Orpheus, Spearmint and Lyra walked in. “We’re back!” Orpheus announced.

Lyra noticed Sky sitting on the couch. “Hey, Sky!” she said excitedly. “When did you get here?”

“A few minutes ago.” Sky said matter-of-factly, not fully trusting of Lyra. “Your sister let me in.”

Lyra raised an eyebrow. “Is there… something wrong?” she asked. She could tell that Sky was not his usual self.

Sky quickly made up an excuse. “Oh… nothing. I just, um… didn’t sleep well last night. I’m just… a bit tired. That’s all.” He turned to Orpheus and Spearmint. “The floor plans are in my bag. Do you want to see them?”

“Of course.” said Spearmint. “That’s why you came here today, isn’t it?”

“Well… yes, of course.” Sky replied. Not wanting to waste any time, he hastily pulled the floor plans out of his saddlebag and rolled them out on the coffee table. “I made two.” he explained. “Just decide which one you like better.”

“Can you tell us more about them?” Orpheus asked.

“Sure.” said Sky. He pointed to the first plan. “This one has a larger sunroom and more outdoor space. The layout’s a bit smaller and simpler than the other plan. The total building cost should be about 70,000 bits.”

“All right.” said Spearmint. “I’d like more outdoor space. What about the other plan?”

Sky pointed to the second plan. “This plan doesn’t have as much outdoor space, but it has a much larger game room and more space around the pool. As you can see, this layout’s a little more complex. This one will cost around 80,000 bits.”

“I definitely like this one!” said Orpheus. “Ever since I retired from music a few years ago, getting my own game room was always at the top of my list.”

“Well, what about my list?” Spearmint asked. “You know I’ve always wanted a nice big sunroom, and I’d like some more outdoor space for my garden. Besides, 10,000 bits makes a big difference.”

Orpheus smiled. “Babe, I’ve made millions of bits during my career, and so have you. We’re both retired now, so why not go all out? With a big game room and a big pool, we’ll have one of the best houses in all of Canterlot!”

“I don’t have a gambling problem like you.” Spearmint retorted. “If we pick the more expensive plan with that giant game room, that’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

“Are you kidding me?” Orpheus shot back. “I’ve barely gambled at all this past year! Besides, it’s not like we need a giant sunroom anyway. The back porch is plenty good enough for me. And if you wanted more outdoor space, then why’d you agree to this project in the first place?”

Spearmint rolled her eyes. “You never listen to me. You’ve always got to have it your way.”

“Not true!” said Orpheus. “You’re the one who never listens to me. You’ve always got to have your own way!”

Lyra giggled. “My parents can’t agree on anything these days!” she whispered to Sky.

But Sky didn’t laugh. He wasn’t in the mood to mediate an argument today. “Okay, how about this.” he said to Orpheus and Spearmint. “I’ll leave these plans with you, and you can get back to me when you decide which plan you prefer. I’ve got to go now.” He picked up his saddlebag and walked briskly out the door.

“What? He just left!” Minty remarked.

“I knew he wasn’t the right pony for the job.” Spearmint muttered.

“He’s not the problem.” Orpheus replied. “The problem is that you’re too unreasonable.”

“Is Sky always like this?” Minty whispered to Lyra.

“No, he’s not.” Lyra replied sharply. “I think there’s something else bothering him besides being tired.” She walked over to the window and looked down the road, but Sky was already long gone. Lyra sighed.

Sky slowly walked onto the platform at the Canterlot train station. He boarded the last coach of the train and sat at the very back, far away from anypony else. He leaned his head against the window and sighed heavily.

“Now look what you’ve done, Sky.” he muttered to himself. “You acted like a complete idiot with Lyra’s sister, and then you just left in the middle of an argument. But why does it matter, anyway? It’s not like you have a chance with Lyra. She’ll probably just go for that asshole Noteworthy instead. Maybe her parents should just hire a different architect, since there’s no point in you being there anymore.” Negative thoughts continued to circulate in Sky’s mind throughout the entire ride back to Ponyville.

When the train arrived back in Ponyville, Sky quickly got off and flew as high into the air as he could. He didn’t want to be near anypony on the ground. He didn’t have the energy or the motivation to fly fast, so it took him a while to make it across the town. He eventually flew over the lake and landed on the front deck of his house. He went inside and shut the door hard behind him. He then flopped down on his couch and sighed heavily again. What had started as such a promising day had quickly turned into a disaster.