//------------------------------//
// I'm Screwed (Lyra) 
// Story: We're Not Ponies 
// by Total Hound 
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 “I’m totally screwed.” A lone voice pierced through the silence that had fallen on the now empty Canterlot apartment shortly after the land-lord had cleared it out, only minutes before the owner had arrived. Who was the owner of this voice? Lyra. “I am utterly and totally screwed.” Lyra sat down on rump. “Couldn’t they have at least let me know?” She realised she had been sitting on her tail and swished it out from under her, causing a slight breeze which knocked a piece of paper off the door, which landed on her face. “Oh wait, they did tell me.” Lyra took the paper off her face and proceeded to read it:
To:Ms. Heartstrings, It has come to my attention that you have failed to pay your rent for the past two months. I didn't wish to do this more than you wanted it to happen, but I had to collect your things to pay up for the debt you owe my company. I promise you that you can buy it all back when you have the money, but for now you have lost your room, please leave your keys in the room when you leave tonight...Sorry.
From: I.D.
P.S. I left your harp and your Lyre, I know how much they mean to you.
"Well at least he left them.” Lyra got up and walked over to her room, to find her golden harp, and a small bag of bits. This made Lyra grin, she walked over to the bag, and found a note on top:  “This should be enough for a train ticket. Good Luck kid.” 
Lyra’s smile got even bigger, “Thanks In Debt.” In Debt might be a business pony, but he’s no stuck-up prick. "I guess I should get going then." with a quick spell, her harp and her lyre became the size of a mice and tucked themselves into her saddlebag along with the bits Debt gave her, and set off.

Walking down the Canterlot roads down to the train station, Lyra bumped into the most unexpected things, there was no mistaking those eyes, Derpy.
“Hey Derpy, sorry ‘bout that.”
“Aw it’s no problem Lyra.” She replies before snickering a bit.
“What’s so funny?”
“It’s usually me apologizing, it feels nice to be on the receiving end of it for once.”
Lyra rolled her eyes,
“Yeah, great. Anyways, do you still run that mail service?” 
Derpy’s smile threatened to split her face in half at those words. “Absolutely, give me address and I’m off!”
Lyra chuckled, “Well, if it would be too much to ask, could I have some paper and a pen? My landlord took mine.”
A look of realization appeared on Derpy’s face, “Oh, that’s what happened, I stopped by your home earlier and ran into Dept, he wouldn’t tell me why he was there though.”
Lyra cocked her head, “Why were you at my apartment Derpy?”
“Oh right I forgot, I got a package for you. Wait a sec’.” Derpy’s head disappeared into her saddlebag for a moment before reappearing with a thin package,
“Hay hoo ko.”
“Thanks Derpy. These must be those golden strings I ordered for my harp and Lyre. Now about that paper.”
Derpy grinned, “It’s under the package Lyra, along with a ball-point.”
“Derpy,” said a shocked Lyra, “where in Equestria did you get a ball-point.” Ball-point pens were extremely expensive to buy, only the rich bought them, and Derpy was anything but rich, not to say she was poor, but she wasn’t rich by any stretch. 
“Silly Lyra, all delivery ponies get one.”
Well I guess that makes sense. Lyra thought to herself as she turned the package over. Where, look at that, a piece of paper and a ball-point lay taped to the package. “Thanks Derpy, just give a sec’ to write okay?”
“No problem Lyra.” Derpy then gave her a grin with her trademark eyes and sat down.
Hmm. Now let me think, where am I going to go? Ponyville seemed like a quiet town last time I performed there, so I could stay there. Plus if I remember correctly, it’s right next to the Everfree Forest !BONUS! That still leaves one problem though, who am I going to stay with?
“Hey, Derpy?”
Said Pegasus looked up, “What’s up lyra? Ready to send the letter?”
Lyra shook her head, “No. I have a question.”
“Sure, ask away.”
“Are there any musicians in Ponyville that I might get along with?”
Derpy paused for a second and put her hoof up to her chin for a second, before responding with a grin, “Well, there’s Octavia, Oh but she’s on tour in Manehattan right now. There’s always Vinyl-”
Lyra’s pupils shrunk to the size pinpricks, “Oh Celestial Goddesses No!”
“But I don’t think you two will get along very well”
“You think? Are there any others?”
Derpy shuffled on the ground, “Well, there is another one but he’s kinda strange. He’s alwa-”
“Who is it?” 
“Well, he’s a singer but I really don-”
Lyra was losing her patience, “Who is it”
“Midnight! Alright, his name is Midnight Eclipse.”
Lyra stopped to think, Where have I heard that name before…Oh right. He was my pen pal in high-school, he seemed nice from the letters. And now that I think about it, he did say he was a singer…what did he say his music was again? I think it was something like tribal music and music from that company…um, Cirque du Luna I think. Well I’ve heard their music before, and I like it so it couldn’t be too bad to stay with him, right?
“Derpy, can you send the letter to Midnight for me, express? I want it there by 7:25 tonight, got it?”
“Well, erm, I guess I can manage that.”
“Great.” Lyra smiled, “Just give me a minute will ya?”
“I, uh, o…k?” 
Pen hovering on the paper Lyra proceeded to write.
Dear Midnight Eclipse,
How’s it been lately? I know my life’s been decent up until now, which is the reason I’m writing this letter in the first place. I’m going to be in Ponyville for a while and thought you might want to finally meet your high school pen pal, even thought that was a year ago, I still wouldn’t mind catching up in person, maybe get a drink? Have a conversation without having to wait two weeks before one of us replies to what you said? Regardless of whether or not you want to see me I’m coming anyways. If you want to hang out a bit while I’m in town, meet me at the train station today at 8:00 tonight, ‘cause that’s when my train’s pulling in.
Yours Truly: Lyra Heartstrings 

She read the letter over once and gave a quick nod before rolling it up and handing it to the confused, lazy eyed mailmare. “Okay Derpy, here you go.”
Derpy quickly stuffed the scroll into her bag, “Thanks, well I’ll be on my way if I want to get the scroll there on time, bye Lyra, good luck, and forget the pay, I’ll call it a favor.” And with that, she was out of earshot. Sighing, Lyra continued her walk to the Canterlot train station. “I hope I made the right decision.” Lyra thought out loud, “He seemed nice enough from the letters, let’s hope he hasn’t changed too much in a year.”

Having paid for her ticket at 4:45 in the afternoon, Lyra was now waiting for the train to start moving. Let’s hope I can keep a lid on my condition. Lyra thought, It’s what cost me my last job. The train suddenly lurched forward signalling its movement towards its destination. With the monotonous clacking Lyra quickly realized that she hadn’t gotten much sleep. Quickly scanning the train car, Lyra found somepony who didn’t look like a Canterlot prick, he was in the seat beside her across the aisle. She tapped him on the side, “Hey, can you wake me up when the train gets to Ponyville?”
“Well, I just so happen to be going there myself, Okay I’ll let you know when we get there”
“M’Kay thanks.” Lyra said, ending her sentence with a yawn. Sleep quickly took her into its warm, quiet embrace, finally letting the exhausted mare get something she deserved for a while.