This story is a sequel to And Now For Something Exactly the Same
Twilight Sparkle is now Princess Twilight Sparkle and she's successfully rescued Sergeant Lyra Heartstrings from spreading herself too thin into early burnout in Canterlot—by ordering everypony who might have some claim to the mare's time to surrender her at their earliest opportunity.
It's a new life for Lyra Heartstrings, a new set of responsibilities, and a new princess to serve. Now she just needs to survive Ponyville to fully enjoy this new future.
See This Blog for licensing.
Chapters (23)
Will be intresting to see if Dinky, not knowing better, might be able to spot certain parts of the spells far apart in the arrangement make the whole work even better when they are alighned and arranged in a similar way to elements near each other?
That is, if you write a spell on a piece of paper, its the 2D map projection of a higher dimentional framework, and the framework can be placed down and spells built with modules of precreated functions?
Then you get the spell dynamically ajusting itself, add recursion, and oops, you have a MI?
Lyra is starting her new job in a good way now that she has already cast the first friendship spell.
Huh, I gotta say, that sounds like something Sombra would love to have a chance to tinker with.
11155698 No! Bad reader! Don't invoke that guy!
11155701
What, what? No, it's fine.
It is not king Sombra, it is Doctor Sombrero, similar name but different.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/9/17/723744.png
Very different, with moustache, and everything!
11155706
cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/554923710470160398/943815622440128512/unknown.png
(source)
Something I've noticed over the course of this little series has been a lack of focus on Lyra's cutie mark, now I know a pony is more than just their CutieMark or Special Talent, but it would be nice to be reminded what it is every now and then and even better to see it play as a solution to a problem going forward especially now that Lyra is playing with friendship/harmony magic. Perhaps pumping good old friendship magic into CM related activities or using ones special talent as a method of channeling friendship magic creates some sort of synergistic boost between the two?
Twilit Sun’s Zenith, X is lots.
Yeah, all that friendship magic wants to be used. To, you know, make friends. Definitely looking forward to further developments with the new magic, new princess, and old guard. For a given definition of “old,” anyway.
And given Dinky’s possible fate, I do have to appreciate rescuing a dragon from a princess.
11155833
The final chapter of the previous story (not counting the epilogue):
I've been showing her expressing herself through magic quite a bit. She doesn't use it for combat or for great workings of magic, but I feel I have had Lyra pull out her much-abused bass quite a bit. To say nothing of her didgeridoo.
this is a amazing start to a what looks to be a super store.
Oh, Lyra. You never cease to amaze.
Damaged, keep up the good work. Your writing is on par to Lyra's magic; you're no Alicorn, but you can certainly impress a few of them on the regular.
And for your Ask a Question: Twilight, since your such a bookworm, have you ever asked Lyra what type of books and subjects from her old world? I heard that there may be millions...
Well Damaged, took about a week to catch up to this series of Lyra so it will be interesting to see how this one goes and hope to read more soon. Maybe if I give Tufts some Mangoes he'll help you...
11163265 I don't think having Tufts screaming behind me is going to encourage me to write more.
*For Ask A Question* Hey Discord, How many times has Murphy's Law of Reality of What can go Wrong will go Wrong hit you?
Like how this chapter has went. I liked how Twilight was able to understand what Lyra was able to let her see what she did to help the Guard be what they are now. Hope to read the next chapter soon.
Also Twilight, It ain't easy being Cheesy!
now this is how all leaders should be trained and have to pass.
this chapter is amazing and i can see things happening in this story.
Hmmm, which library should Twilight visit first ... Library of Congress, or the Main Branch in New York, Chicago, or LA??
11169859 Given the embargo on travel to/from Thestralia, she wouldn't make it to either before military intervention.
11169875
There you go bringing reality into the picture ... maybe something local, like Sydney, Melbourne or even (*gasp*) Perth ... [hmmm, if she discovers the web, think she could smuggle a link back with her??]
This was an interesting chapter and I like how Twilight's training went. I also like the fact that she realizes she needs to know these kinds of things for future engagements.
11169932 It was something that struck me about the fight with Tirek. It was nothing like any of the combat she'd been involved with before. She was dynamic, mobile, and far more ready to lash out with whatever attacks she could. That's part of what I'm having a lot of fun with in this, giving explanations for some things that had none in the show we saw.
Love to wake up with an update. It's great to see the background training that Twilight will use when Tirek shows up. Easily one of my favorite episodes of the show but there was no hint that she had ever gotten any form of combat training beforehand.
Ask Twilight: Now that you've revealed yourself to the guard, do you regret you won't be able to do the training again as a pegasus or even an earth pony?
According to those around me, I have the annoying habit of reading aloud. Especially when it's something I like or I'm excited. I hit these and they made my brain skip.
You
The shouting
Waited for Twilight
She's
Extra s
Not sure if it was intended to cut off mid-word here, but the other 79 times the — was used in the chapter was after a complete word, so added here.
Now that a resolution
11170024 Gah, so many mistakes! The last one wasn't a mistake. Em dash can cut short words and sentences alike. Trick to knowing when it's just a pause is looking for the capitalization after the em dash.
This series is an extended lesson in world building. It's great for folks like me that love that stuff.
This chapter has earned some of the highest praise I can offer: I'm mad that this didn't happen in canon. Yes, the Princess of Friendship getting combat training sounds counterintuitive on the surface, but given what she has in store, Twilight's going to be grateful for this many time in the future.
Also, Discord becoming aware of the quicksand without having any way to escape is honestly delightful.
To Lyra, any plans to let your new princess visit your homeland? Or are you afraid you'll never be able to pry her away from the Internet?
*For Ask A Question* "Twilight, you do realise she's lying to you, right?"
All the public works needing doing reminds me of one of the more intresting books of costs I used to have, The Costs Of Works. Things like how much you should charge for an area of plastered or painted wall, how much for block or brickwork, how much for the carpentry for various woodwork. For a given quality, for a given worker qualification class, for given materials and tools etc.
Maybe this event would give Twilight the nudge to work over the whole of Ponyville so she wouldnt just know the zoning rules, but in detail why those rules, where the services go, how much extra capacity would be needed, just where Mauds cavern might cause problems with deep foundations of larger buildings and cellars etc?
Maybe Lyra needs t back off Sweeties magic for a while and instead take her to shadow puppet theatre, and wireframe artisans, with mathematical puzzles and diversions and maybe some Trixie sleight of hoof, to maybe give an understanding that things that are complex from one viewpoint, will still be as complex, but easier to discern, from a different viewpoint?
This was a fun chapter and it's strange but also somewhat understable that ponies think Twilight needs to approve things but mostly stupid since nothing was ever said about it. I figured Pinkie was just messing with Twilight when she wore a hat.
Twilight considered adding, ”That’s what mayors are for,” but that seemed a bit too on-the-muzzle. “You idiots” was right out.
And in a remote village, a light fuchsia unicorn who was more equal than others found herself putting a bit more sincerity in her smile than usual.
This is one of the better Twilight moments I’ve ever seen. Denying her a chance to bond through books is an almost unthinkable betrayal.
And I do quite like that new friendship spell. I can only imagine what else the new magic is capable of.
awesome chapter.
For asking a question. Rarity did you know Earth has many fashions and quite a few shows about it too? Maybe you should ask Lyra all about it and help inspire you to create more masterpieces...
Loved how Lyra was able to help problem solve multiple issues in this chapter as well as get the drop on Twilight with her cheeky comment.
Return of Flutterbat ftw!
This was a great chapter and I like how the situation was resolved with Fluttershy gaining more confidence and some cool new abilities. Also I found a typo.
Farm should far in this sentence.
11217988 Ack! Fixed it, thanks!
Very cute and very wholesome. Love the way you dealt with the flutterbat issue.
Question for Cherries and/or Trixie: How did the date go back in Life of Lyra? Did it spawn more dates? Is that why Trixie is spending so much time in Ponyville now?
Question for Blueblood: Did you find what you were looking for in Baked? When was the wedding if any? If not yet, what does one have to do to get an invite?
I hate how little flutterbat content this site have , an this is a fantastic one
Fluttershy just got an awful lot scarier.
If you put a mango in front of Flutterbat, a cupcake in front of Pinkie, and a ruby in front of Spike, who has the longest tongue?
And why isnt this a game yet?
An important weapon in any Equestrian debate.
There's a reason she was the best choice to connect with Discord.
"Aren't you friends with Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie?"
"Yeah, and I try not t' think too hard about either of 'em."
Lovely way to use the teaser of "Bats!" I shouldn't be surprised that that had greater significance in this timeline, but I still didn't expect it. Still, great use of canon material.
Discord, any thoughts on Fluttershy embracing her battier side?
11218150
I have actually been itching to write this chapter for about... 500,000 words or so. It's always been a big target on my radar for this story to cover, but I didn't want to literally rewrite the episode with Pinkie and Twilight just flat-out telling AJ to stop being a big-filly's-blouse and deal with her own animal problems.
After all the times Applejack criticized Twilight using magic to solve problems, she sure was quick to call for it when the chips (apples?) were down.
Now if Fluttershy is in a silly, prankish mood she could change into her bat form and if a pony was scared and asked "What Are You?!"
Fluttershy can answer "I AM A BATMARE!!!!"
a amazing chapter.
flutterbat is best fluttershy.
flutterbat
Ohhh! Nice take on that episode
Nice update!
My first thought was calling it the "bringing enough for the class" spell.
This was a great chapter and I absolutely love Dinky and Sweetie Belle learning more magic. The mention of Manehattan indicates that the meeting between Twilight and Lyra happens sometime after Rarity Takes Manehatten.
11245871 Time marches on.
Dinkies herringbone arrows makes me think of certain symbology?
<^| => <|> <= |^> Or quantum linked spin via a virtual intermediate over an arbitary distance or something?
That's actually really useful advise. I know some people who could use it...
not sure if it is cannon to this story but Dinky hoves is 1/2 timelord.
this chapter is awesome.
11246107 I do not ascribe to that booming sound.
The show definitely didn't:
1) Show Derpy in a relationship with Doctor Hooves.
2) Show Dinky as being Derpy's daughter.
3) Show Dinky as being Doctor Hooves' daughter.
4) Show Doctor Hooves as being a time lord.
Choose two target creatures controlled by the same player…
Wait, sorry, wrong magic system.
Wonderful to see Best Filly as a spellcrafting prodigy. Eagerly looking forward to seeing her help Lyra and Twilight revolutionize magic as ponies know it.