//------------------------------// // An Owl in Canterlot 2 // Story: Truthseeker // by RB_ //------------------------------// “Thanks again, Doc!” Lyra called out to Dr. Dissonance as she, Pinkie, and Maud (Boulder having compressed himself into Maud’s pocket) exited his practice. “So, now that that’s taken care of… I’m starving! Who’s up for breakfast?” Lyra glanced at a nearby street sign. “Hey, I know this place not too far from here that does great pancakes, want to go there?” “Ooh, Pancakes sound great! What do you think, Maud?” “Sure.” “Pancakes it is! Lead the way, Lyra!” ----- As Lyra entered the diner, she was greeted by familiar smells and familiar faces- and one familiar face in particular. “Hey, Johnny! You still running this dump? Thought you said you were going to retire years ago!” The older stallion looked up. “What, and let you get away with not paying that monster of a tab? I don’t think so!” “Hey, I’ll pay! Just as soon as I get my big break!” Lyra replied in the traditional manner. “And when that day comes, I’ll be rich enough to retire to upper Canterlot!” He guffawed loudly, Lyra joining him after a moment of trying to look offended. “Good to see you, kiddo! Where’ve you been all these years?” Lyra pulled herself onto one of the stools at the counter; Pinkie and Maud sat to her left. “I’ve been on an extended vacation to Ponyville!” “You call six years an extended vacation?” “Hey, Ponyville’s a nice place! Nice neighborhoods, good ponies… Oh! This is Pinkie Pie, and this is her sister Maud. Pinkie, Maud, this is Johnnycake, maker of the finest quick breads this side of the Canterhorn.” “You bet your right flank I am! I’m guessing you’ll want your old usual, right Lyra? What about you gals?” “Chocolate chip! With extra syrup and whipped cream, and blueberries and strawberries on top!” “Just plain, please.” Johnny blinked. He leaned over the counter and stage-whispered to Lyra behind one hoof. “Are you sure they’re related?” Lyra took a long look at the two eldronies. “Not a doubt in my mind.” “Well, alright then,” he said, turning around to face the stove behind the counter and pulling a frying a frying pan off of a rack with his telekinesis. He talked over his shoulder as he cooked. “So, how’s village life treating you?” “Way better than city life ever did,” she replied with a snort. “I have a house, a half-decent income, and the most beautiful marefriend in all of Equestria. You couldn’t pay me to move back!” “Ooh, the little kiddo’s all grown up! A marefriend, huh? What’s she like?” “She’s smart, and caring, and beautiful, and she’s an amazing cook, and…” Lyra’s happy smile turned into a grimace. “And she’s probably really mad at me right now.” “Why, what did you do?” “Why do you assume I did something?” Johnny snorted. “Because I’ve met you, kiddo. Now spill.” She sighed. “I may have been keeping something a secret from her. Something really big, and…” “Let me guess: she found out.” “Yeah…” Johnny turned around, levitating three large plates of pancakes over to the mares. Lyra picked up a knife and fork and cut off a large chunk of hers, swirling it around in the maple syrup before placing it into her mouth; the familiar flood of fluffy, sugary, blueberry-y goodness immediately raised her spirits. “Mmm… Even better than I remember.” Johnny chuckled. “Well, I try. Now, while you’re busy stuffing your face, here’s my advice: don’t worry about it. Whatever it was you did, doesn’t matter; if this gal of yours is half as good as you think she is, then she’ll forgive you. It might take a little while, but she will. “And if she doesn’t,” he continued, “then buck her, she isn’t worth your time. Got it?” Lyra giggled. “As wise and sagely put as if Princess Celestia herself had said it.” “Hey, I’m trying to help you out here!” She laughed again. “Thanks. And you’re right.” “SECONDS PLEASE!” The two’s conversation was interrupted by the sudden demand of Pinkie Pie, who had already wolfed down her entire stack of pancakes in the time it had taken Lyra to eat one. Maud, meanwhile, had only taken a few bites. Johnny blinked in astonishment. “You sure they’re related?” Maud slowly brought a morsel up to her face. Her tentacles rose up to accommodate it, revealing what looked to be a short beak. “Pretty sure.” ----- “You come back soon, y’hear! I don’t want to have to wait another six years to see my favorite retirement-fund-on-legs!” “Love you too, Johnny!” Lyra called out as the diner’s door swung closed behind her. “Oof! I don’t think I could eat another bite!” Pinkie exclaimed. “…Well, maybe a couple. Or a couple dozen. Those were gooooood!” “Yeah, I’ve never met anypony who made better pancakes then Johnny. What did you think, Maud?” “They were great.” she replied. “Boulder liked them, too.” “Indeed! They were most delicious!” Boulder affirmed from Maud’s pocket. Pinkie looked at the sun, gauging the time. “We should probably get going if we want to get to the meeting place before Ditzy and Bon Bon do.” “Meeting place?” Lyra asked, confused. “I figured we were going to meet them at the train station.” “Nope, too crowded! We need somewhere nice and private for Owl business. Which is why,” Pinkie, having checked the street signs, began trotting down a side road; Lyra and Maud followed. “We’re heading to Miss Grimoire’s bookshop!” That sounded familiar to Lyra. “Grimoire… Bookshop… You can’t mean Grimoire’s Grimoire’s?” “That’s the one! I’m surprised you’ve heard of it!” “I think Twilight and Moondancer dragged us there one time when we were fillies…” She thought back for a moment. “And there was an old rumor about the owner…” “She’s immortal.” Maud announced. “No she isn’t!” Pinkie shot back. “I keep telling you, the identity is being passed down through a long line of apprentices!” “Occam’s Razor, Pinkie. She’s an immortal.” “Reverse Occam’s Razor, Maud! Immortality is too simple!” “You lost me.” Pinkie craned her neck around to look at Lyra. “Dusty Grimoire is the owner of Grimoire’s Grimoire’s, and she’s reeeeaaalllly old. Like, a few centuries old, at least! Older than Vinyl!” “Oh, okay.” Lyra nodded. “Why’s that?” “Nooooopony knooowwws!” Pinkie said in a spooky tone. “But we all have our theories. Maud thinks she’s just an immortal— which she isn’t! I say she’s an assumed identity taken over by a new pony once the current one gets too old. ‘Tavi’s pretty sure she’s a golem of some sort, Ditzy thinks she’s a god in disguise, and Bell’s certain she’s some sort of alien. Pretty much everyone in the Owls has a different explanation, and there’s this huge betting pool about it.” “Why don’t you just ask her?” “If we did that, it would ruin the game!” Pinkie replied, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. “Duh!” There was a short lull in the conversation as the three navigated the streets. “So, Maud,” Lyra said, looking to break the silence. “How did you and Boulder meet?” “Ooh, Maud LOVES telling this story!” Pinkie squealed. Maud cleared her throat. “It was a dark and stormy night. Little did I know my life was about to change forever…”