//------------------------------// // The Question // Story: A New Agent // by Just A Random Pegasus //------------------------------// As Sweetie Drops walked home, she noticed some movement in her backyard. Quietly, she opened the door to her house, looked around to make sure nopony was watching her, and placed her briefcase in a secret compartment. She then heard the movement outside again. "What's that?" She asked herself as she walked towards the window. "Doesn't hurt to practice my ninja skills, right?" She said as she jumped through the window, landing by performing a barrel roll. Standing up, she faced her yard, not seeing anypony, but hearing movement. "WHO GOES THERE?!" She questioned as she heard a very familiar laugh. She turned around to find Lyra giggling at the sight of her acting defensive over her property. "Did the agency get to your head already?" Lyra teased as she continued setting the picnic up, which Sweetie Drops realized was the movement she was hearing in her yard. "Lyra, what are you doing here?" Sweetie questioned as Lyra put her last dessert on the mat. "I set up the picnic, duh! Oh, and by the way, I took some food out of your kitchen for this," Lyra informed. "Oh, well thank you, Lyra! And it... looks like you took a lot of... oats from my kitchen..." "Oh, yes! What's a picnic without oats!" "Well, can you put a few back? I would like to eat some a different day..." Sweetie Drops asked. "Fine," Lyra responded as she levitated half of the oats into the kitchen again. "Do I need to put anything else back?" "No... that's good," Sweetie Drops responded. "Thanks, Lyra!" "No probs! Now, let's eat before it becomes dark!" Lyra declared as she started chowing down. Sweetie Drops did the same, just realizing how hungry she had become. After a minute of chewing, Lyra started up a conversation. "So... how was the meeting?" "Good!" "Did you learn anything about the threat?" Lyra asked, sounding a bit more curious. "Well, we learned that the threat may not attack at all," Sweetie Drops responded. "That's good news! I'm sure it would be cool to fight it, though..." "We think it's going to attack sometime, though. So I need to be on the lookout. And I don't know if 'cool' would be the right word to describe it," Sweetie Drops answered. "Hey, Bons?" "Yes, Lyra?" "I have a question for you." "What is it? Are you about to ask me if I wanted to learn more about your study? What is it... I know it starts with an 'A'..." "Anthropology?" "Yes, that's it!" "No, that's not my question. Although, I would be available to teach anytime!" Lyra responded. "Well, I'll see when I want to learn about anthropology. Now, what do you want to ask me?" "Um... can I be... in the agency?" Lyra asked, putting on a sheepish grin. "You want to WHAT?!" Sweetie Drops questioned. "Well... be in the secret agency. I think it would be pretty cool to fight monsters..." "Lyra, it would be cool to have my best friend there, but I don't think there's any way I can get you in..." "What? Why not?" Lyra questioned, a little upset. "First off, I wasn't supposed to tell anypony about the agency. If I tell the princess you want in, she would know I told you. Nopony else is supposed to know about it. Even if you go up and ask her to be in, she would be afraid that all of Equestria would have heard about it, and we will have to end the society again. I would love for you to be with me in the society, Lyra, but In don't think there is a possible way to get you in," Sweetie Drops responded as Lyra's ears fell flat. "Oh... okay. I just thought it would be really cool to be in a secret society. I do understand what you're saying, though," Lyra exclaimed as she tried to smile a little bit. Besides playing the lyre and studying anthropology, Lyra doesn't do much in her free time. That means, when Sweetie Drops can't hang out, that she is sitting at home alone and bored. She would study magic, but she figured out pretty quickly that spells don't lock in her memory very easily. She also tried making candy, but that ended up as a disaster. She thought that she finally found something that both she and her best friend could do together, if it weren't supposed to be secret. She then heard Sweetie Drops gasp, which broke her from her train of thought. "I think I just got an idea!" She exclaimed as Lyra's ears perked up. "You mean... you can get me in? Without the princess knowing you told me about it?!" Lyra questioned, her voice growing with hope. "Yes!" Sweetie answered, the smile on her face spreading. "I remembered what I did that caused Princess Celestia to notice me!" "What did you do?" Lyra asked with a huge smile on her face. "A little while ago, I was leaping over small structures in Canterlot for fun. I used a rope to latch onto polls and swing on them. Princess Celestia noticed my way of having fun, and introduced me to the organization! If I can pretend to be showing you the fun I had as a filly doing that, and if you are good enough, the princess could let you in!" Sweetie Drops declared. She was then embraced by the sea-green unicorn. "Thanks! You are really the best friend anypony can ever have!" "You are too!" Sweetie added on. They pulled apart as Lyra got a small look of confusion on her face. "Wait, how will the princess see me?" She asked as Sweetie Drops got a small smirk. "She walks around the Canterlot Gardens every day. If we can practice there, than she will notice you!" She informed as Lyra got her happy smile again. "Great! Thanks again, Bons!" Lyra thanked as Sweetie Drops started to clean up the picnic mat. Lyra levitated and placed some leftovers into her saddlebag. After the mat was cleaned up, Lyra walked off and waved goodbye to her friend. "Come to my house at seven-o-clock tomorrow morning! We will board the train then!" Sweetie Drops informed as Lyra nodded her head. "Will do! See you tomorrow!" "See ya!" Sweetie Drops said one last time before Lyra was already at the other side of her house. She then smiled uncontrollably. Her best friend could be working in the same agency as her! Even though she had other ponies to talk to, she saw them as acquaintances. She felt that Lyra could bring a whole new life to the agency. She soon climbed the stairs, landed in her soft bed, and drifted off to sleep. Her mind was swarming of new experiences that could come with her best friend.