Harmonic Blue Skies

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.