Buildings flew by Lyra and Sweetie Drops as they sat on the train, looking out at the morning scenery. Dew still covered the grass, and the sun gave the sky a nice orange glow as it ascended. Lyra opened the window by her seat, letting the nice, morning breeze cool her off. The air inside the train was warm and humid, since the conductors didn't bother turning the air conditioning on until it got really warm outside. Lyra sat back in her seat, the breeze blowing her mane like a fan. She then looked down at a bag that Sweetie Drops had brought with her. She knew that her friend always brought some of her delicious candy wherever they went. When Sweetie Drops wasn't looking, Lyra levitated a piece of candy from her bag. Sweetie Drops felt the small movement and turned around to face her friend.
"Hey! What are you doing?" She asked as she saw Lyra open-mouthed, holding the candy close to her lips with her magic.
"Hey, it's not my fault your candy is really good!" Lyra responded as she gave her friend the piece back.
"Lyra, I don't care if you have one. Just ask next time, okay?" Sweetie Drops informed as Lyra quickly popped the candy into her mouth. Her taste-buds were greeted by the nice taste of orange cream inside a chocolate shell. Sweetie Drops looked over at her.
"It's a new recipe I made: Chocolate-shelled orange-ness," she told Lyra as the unicorn swallowed the candy.
"That's really good, Bons!" Lyra responded as her friend smiled. She looked outside to see that the sun had risen a little higher, and that they were a little closer to Canterlot.
When the train arrived at the station, Lyra was the first to leap out of her seat.
"Yeah! Time to be in the agency!" She shouted out as other ponies on the train looked at her suspiciously.
"What are you talking about, mam?" One of the stallions asked as Sweetie Drops face-hoofed.
"Oh, my friend and I are... joining a group of our other friends that live here that go by 'The Agency!'" Lyra explained, her eyeballs darting. The stallion smiled and trotted off. As Lyra got off the train, she saw Sweetie Drops glaring at her.
"WHAT IN TARTARUS, LYRA?!" She bursted as Lyra gave a small laugh.
"Sorry... I just got a little too excited and..."
"Ugh... you're lucky no one in the group was on there! Then they would have figured out I told you!" Sweetie Drops responded, having made sure nopony else could hear her.
"I know..."
"Sorry, Lyra. Just remember next time to not give away anything else about this. I know you tend to get over-excited about these kinds of things."
"Haha... yeah..." Lyra responded as a smile crept back onto her face. "Where are the Canterlot Gardens, anyway?" Lyra questioned as Sweetie Drops stepped in front of her.
"Follow my lead!" She declared as she trotted off, Lyra following closely behind.
The two soon came to the entrance of the gardens, and Sweetie Drops led them to a great spot to practice.
"Lyra, are you ready to learn what I did as a filly?" She asked as Lyra nodded her head. She then ran and leaped over a small block of grass, landing in a barrel roll. "Now you try!" Sweetie suggested as Lyra got ready to sprint. The unicorn managed to jump over the block, but the roll didn't go well for her. She only did about a 180 degree twist.
"Almost..." Lyra said to herself. Sweetie Drops motioned for her to keep trying. Lyra kept jumping over the block, while landing in not-so-perfect rolls. Around the fifth time, she landed in a perfect roll.
"Finally!" Lyra remarked as Sweetie Drops walked over to her.
"Ready for the next thing?" She asked as Lyra got a look of determination.
"Bring it on."
"Alright," Sweetie Drops responded. She took a small rope out of her bag, swung it around like a lasso, and flung it so it latched onto a nearby poll. Hanging onto it with her teeth, she swung in a full circle, landing in a perfect stance. She pulled the rope back as far as she can, which caused it to unravel from the poll. She threw it over to Lyra.
"Now you try," she declared as Lyra stared at her.
"How?" She asked in disbelief.
"When you swing around, make sure to go close to the poll," Sweetie informed as Lyra levitated the rope. She didn't have the ability to swing a rope around with her mouth like earth ponies do. She quickly shot it over and wrapped it around the poll, but made sure not to tie it. She then jumped, got on near the top, and circled around a little bit. Sadly, she only got about 90 degrees around the poll. A voice in her head told her to keep trying. She kept swinging on the rope, not making the full distance. She made it a little more than halfway around when Celestia was walking through the gardens.
"Hello, Sweetie Drops. And who is this?" She asked as she pointed at Lyra, who fell off the rope.
"Good afternoon, Princess! And that is my best friend, Lyra Heartstrings. I'm teaching her some fun tricks I did when I was younger. She really wants to be ninja-like, just like me!" Sweetie Drops informed as the princess giggled.
"You do have quite amazing stealth, Sweetie Drops," Celestia commented. Lyra then looked at the princess and then the rope. She needed to make it all the way around. If she was able to do so, Celestia would probably notice her. She then quickly put the rope back on the poll and charged. She grabbed on, quickly spinning around the poll. Before she knew it, she had made a complete circle, and landed perfectly.
"Lyra, you did it!" Sweetie Drops congratulated as Celestia gave a smile.
"Nice work, Miss Heartstrings. Can you do the jump-roll Sweetie Drops does? I'm curious," Celestia questioned as Lyra nodded her head. She ran over, jumped the block of grass, and landed in a perfect barrel roll. The princess raised an eyebrow.
"You are a lot like Sweetie Drops, Lyra. Which reminds me. Can you come to my castle in about twenty minutes?" Celestia asked as Lyra's eyes grew wide, but she tried to put a look of confusion on her face.
"Why?" She questioned in the most convincing voice possible.
"All will be explained then. See you in a few minutes!" Celestia responded as she left the gardens. As soon as the princess was out of sight, Lyra got a huge smile and gave Sweetie Drops a hug.
"I made it in!" Lyra exclaimed as she pulled apart. "Thank you, Bons!"
"No problem! And we hope that is what she called you for," Sweetie Drops responded. "It is exactly how she addressed me, though."
"Why would I be called for anything else?" Lyra questioned as she hoof-bumped her friend.
"I'm not sure. I guess I should assume the best," Sweetie Drops admitted as Lyra started bouncing up and down.
"I can't wait to go over to the castle!" Lyra remarked.
"Well, you're going to have to wait twenty minutes," Sweetie Drops informed as Lyra stopped bouncing.
"Oh, right..." Lyra responded as she sat on a bench, trying to make the time fly. After feeling like an hour had passed, she checked a watch Sweetie Drops had in her bag.
"Oh come on! There's still fifteen minutes left!"