July 10th, 998
"Hmm," Pinkie Pie says to herself, trying to keep her excitement contained, merely pronking in place as she watches the activity in front of her. The pink pony is audaciously hidden on top of the mover's cart, her poofy mane camouflaged by the balloons around her.
A mint green coat. Definitely different than the rest. Check.
Unicorn. Easy enough to confirm. Check.
Enjoys studying. Well, a little harder to tell one way or another. But, carefully monitoring the moving ponies gives some insight into her habits and likes, and there are definitely some bookshelves in there, sheets of music, and all that points to somepony who isn't afraid of what lies behind the cover of a book. Check, but maybe a note for later confirmation.
Nice. Hmm, well, she seems to be greeting everypony around her, though a lot of them are still a little cautious around the new unicorn, most are giving her the benefit of the doubt. Close enough, check.
Crazy powerful. Hmm, definitely harder to tell, especially if she is shy about showing off those powers. Only one way to find out.
Pinkie Pie disappears as the unicorn picks up the last of the boxes, waving goodbye to the earth ponies helping her move in. The unicorn turns, the orange aura opening the front door. She takes a step forwards, shrieking loudly as the box held in front of her explodes open, packing peanuts flying in every direction. Pinkie Pie exclaims, "Welcome To Ponyville!" as she bursts out of the box, raising her forelegs to the sky. "I knew I recognized you! Lyra Heartstrings!"
Lyra takes a cautious step backwards, breathing heavily as the box falls to the ground, Pinkie Pie bouncing out of it as it lands. She hesitantly says, "Yes! That's me, moving to Ponyville." She looks into the box, amazement that the plates inside are unbroken. She looks back up, maintaining her smile while muttering to herself, "They were right to warn me about you."
Pinkie Pie pronks around, her voice getting more and more excited, "That's great news! I mean, I kind of got the impression that you were moving to Ponyville because you have the moving ponies moving your stuff into a house here in Ponyville, but you can never be too sure," Pinkie's head twists around as she says, "Riiigght?"
Lyra smiles, "That's right!" enjoying watching Pinkie Pie unravel herself. "I remember you! You're Pinkie Pie, and you threw that Spring Celebration party!"
"Yup! That's me, the premiere party pony presently present in Ponyville!" Pinkie Pie pronks around as Lyra gathers the box, folding it back up and stuffing the packing peanuts inside. Pinkie Pie sticks her head between Lyra and the box, "So, do you like surprises?"
"I do like surprises!" Lyra says, stepping into the house.
"SURPRISE!!"
Lyra grins, dozens of ponies crowding into her house and smiling back at her. A few blow on noisemakers, a pony shoving a plate of cake into her hooves. She looks around, some of them more familiar than others, as Pinkie Pie pronks around the room.
Each pony waves as Pinkie Pie identifies them, flashing their cutie mark, "This is Mayor Mare, this is Filthy Rich, his lead mare Spoiled Rich, this is..."
Lyra waves as each pony in turn, and three minutes later the rapid fire introductions are complete, having gone through over a hundred ponies. Lyra takes a bite of cake, grinning as Pinkie Pie takes a deep breath, the pink pony now introducing the fillies from town. They all gather around the mint green mare; she smiles down, "Oh, look how big you've all gotten!" She levitates over one of the boxes, an orange lyre appearing that matches her aura. "Who wants to hear a song?"
The fillies excitedly clamber over each other, trying to get closer as Lyra strums her lyre. "Alright, sing along with me!" She starts, "The wheels on the cart go round and round, round and round, round and round."
Pinkie Pie mentally pumps a hoof. Great with foals, definitely nice, now just to nail down the powers part. She certainly isn't bad at the lyre; pretty good, now that she thinks about it, though that song didn't really test her abilities. Not at all like Pinkie Pie will test her. An evil smirk slowly grows across Pinkie Pie's face as she ominously taps her hooves together. Lyra's song finishes, the foals waving as they head to the refreshments. Pinkie pulls out a harmonica, grinning as she says, "So, you play a lot?"
"Yup! It is my talent, after all." Lyra's flank bounces a little, waving it back and forth as she smirks at Pinkie Pie. "You can't possibly be thinking to challenge me with that!"
"Oh?" Pinkie Pie says, a grin growing on her face. "Lay down, Lyra, I challenge you..."
An explosion of balloons and streamers cloud the room, Lyra trying to glance around, her vision completely blocked. She clutches her lyre close to her body, her hooves slipping as the floor seems to push against her. Suddenly a bright light shines through the balloons above her, the wall of colorful confetti fluttering to the road around her.
"To A Riff-Off!"
Pinkie Pie whips out her harmonica as Lyra levitates her lyre next to her and grips it in her hooves, both pony's eyes glinting as they stare each other down. All of the ponies from the party are watching, some from nearby houses, others gathering on the streets. Pinkie Pie starts out, a warbling up and down, her eyes narrowing as Lyra harmonizes the warbling. Off in the background Apple Bloom chases a tumbleweed, Lyra upping the ante by singing along, a rising "Wuah, wuaah, wuaaah!"
"Oh, that does it!" Pinkie Pie exclaims, pointing a hoof at Lyra, "The Riff-Off is set for high noon!"
Lyra looks up at the sky, "Um, Pinkie, that's, like, four hours from now. Can't we get this out of the way now?"
"Oh. Um, well, sure. We can do this now, if you want." Lyra nods; Pinkie Pie smirks, "Very well! The Riff-Off commences now!"
Pinkie Pie begins, a harmonica-ized version of the Summer Wrap Up song, Lyra countering with a rendition of Fall Wrap Up. The two glare, both starting the Winter Wrap Up song, their tempo increasing faster and faster. Smoke begins to come out of Pinkie's harmonica, the metal turning red as Lyra's lyre bursts into flames. Both ponies drop their instruments, dancing on their hind hooves and blowing on their forehooves.
Pinkie Pie and Lyra glare at each other as they both whip out spare instruments. Lyra quickly strums a few notes while Pinkie Pie blows through a quick scale. Pinkie Pie leads with a riff of her Smile song; after a few bars Lyra counters with the intro of Beethooven's Sunlight Sonata. As the music continues she levitates her first lyre up, harmonizing with herself as her hooves strum along the spare.
Pinkie Pie interrupts, sitting down and using all four hooves, her smoking harmonica playing the treble section of Beethooven's Noise while the cold one plays the base clef.
Lyra stares at her for several seconds as the music continues before saying, "Okay. Wait. Stop right there. How are you playing two harmonicas at once?"
"Oh, it's easy!" Pinkie Pie continues playing the base section as she explains, "I just blow on the one in my right hoof with the right side of my mouth, and the left harmonica with the left! Then, when I need to take a breath, I just keep blowing on the right, and alternate back and forth until I'm done breathing!"
Lyra stares at Pinkie Pie for a few seconds before shaking her head, "No. Uh-uh. That's not how breathing works. You only have one set of lungs!"
Pinkie Pie uses the right side of her mouth to talk this time, "Yes, but I have two lungs, don't I?"
Lyra sputters for a few seconds, "No! Well, okay, yes, but you only have one windpipe! Even if I allow you to somehow compress one lung while inflating the other lung, the air would just go back and forth, not... actually..."
"Just ask Doug! He'll tell you I'm very talented with my mouth." Pinkie Pie puts a hoof to her muzzle, looking up, "He can probably verify the simultaneous sucking and blowing thing too."
"Okay, that's more than I needed to know." Lyra levitates both lyres again, strumming on the two and closing her eyes, a brief meditation before she begins Kovtchai Skies' Flower Waltz.
"Ooh, I love this one!" Fluttershy exclaims from the back, immediately clapping her hooves over her muzzle. Pinkie Pie joins in, transitioning to a decent transcription with a banjo and kazoo instead of the normal stringed instruments and horn.
All the nearby ponies turn as two earth ponies gallop over, dragging two jumbo speakers attached to a horseshoe emblazoned turntable. A white unicorn with a two-tone blue mane casually spins two records in her hooves, slamming them down and joining in as the nearby ponies cheer.
Some time around noon the party breaks up, Pinkie Pie announcing, "Lunch is inside for everypony!" She points a hoof towards the center of town, "Or head to Sugarcube Corner for the after party!"
Sweetie Belle prances around Rarity, exclaiming, "Sis! Did you hear me! That was so much fun!"
Rarity smiles down, "You did very well, Sweetie Belle." She glances to the trio, "Now, back to the Boutique, we have lots of studying to do!"
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom grin while Scootaloo huffs, the three following Rarity back to the Carousel Boutique. Applejack returns to her apple stand, quickly counting up the bits left around the empty baskets. Rainbow Dash flies back into the sky, a number of pegasi following after and heading towards the Everfree and a few of the threatening clouds.
Lyra walks up to Pinkie Pie as the ponies disperse, wiping a few beads of sweat from around her horn. "Whew! It's been a while since I've had to mare up like that. So, who won?"
"Who won what?" a confused Pinkie says; a few moments pass before she says, "Oh, yeah! The Riff-Off! I completely forgot we were doing that! All I can say is that you passed!"
Lyra grins, "Glad to hear it!" Her face falls slightly as she considers, "Passed what?"
"Oh, you'll see! You remember where the Apple farmhouse is?" Pinkie Pie points a hoof towards Sweet Apple Acres, her grin growing larger.
"Sure do!"
"Okie dokie lokie! Just come by around dinner tonight!" Pinkie Pie looks suspiciously at Lyra as the unicorn's smile drops slightly, "Something wrong?"
"I... might be a little busy tonight, Pinkie. My best friend is coming in, and I was going to help her move in with me."
"Ooh! Is she your best friend like my sister Maud and I are best friends? Because we're, like, the bestest best friends a pony could ask for! We make rock candy together, and eat rock candy together, and make necklaces out of rock candy together that we then eat together!" Pinkie Pie sits down slightly, "But, I only see her once a year or so. But you'll be living with your best friend! That's even better!"
Lyra laughs nervously, "Yes! I do, um, like living with my best friend!"
"Well, if you'd like, both are you are welcome to come to dinner! It might be a little crowded, but only half the herd should be there." Pinkie Pie leans in conspiratorially, "And if you'd prefer, we have ways of making the rest of them... disappear."
Lyra giggles, moving in a little closer herself, "That sounds..." She trails off as she realizes, a look of worry coming over her face. "Oh, um, Pinkie Pie, this isn't... a... date, is it?"
Pinkie Pie nods a few times, grinning madly, "Yupperoonies!" she gasps, "Oh!" Pinkie Pie leans in, "Your best friend isn't a... human, is she?" Lyra shakes her head, confusion on her face as Pinkie Pie wipes some sweat off, "Whew! Well, if your best friend is anything like you then I know she'll fit right in!"
"Yeah, um, that's the thing, Pinkie Pie..." Lyra glances around, no other ponies nearby, "I really appreciate the offer, I do, it's just..."
"Oh, you already have a stallion in your life?" Pinkie Pie sighs forlornly, flopping to the ground, her limbs going in all directions. "I should have known, a mare as beautiful and talented as you can probably get any stallion she wants," She pronks back up with a wink, "Am I right?"
"No, it's not that. And if, um, we ever consider expanding our little group, then I'll keep your offer in mind. You are still with Doug, right?" Pinkie Pie nods, smile still plastered on her face, a little confused at the hold up. "Well, Pinkie, it's just... you see..."
"Oh, I see," Pinkie Pie smiles, "Trying to not appear too eager. I get that." She winks at Lyra, starting to turn away, "Well, one or two tonight, it shouldn't matter."
"Okay, Pinkie, I think we'll both show up, and thank you for the offer, just... don't expect us to treat it as a date."
Pinkie Pie turns back, quietly exclaiming, "What? Why not?"
"It's not that we have anything against Doug, we don't, it's just that Bon-Bon and I, we aren't... into stallions."
"Oh, well, Doug's not really like any of the other stallions! He's like one of the mares a lot of the time. He takes charge, isn't into fashion, and his massages!" Pinkie Pie shudders with her entire body, flopping back to the ground.
Lyra smiles, "Okay, Pinkie. Again, thanks for the offer. We'll still come over for dinner, and keep an open mind about it." She turns back to her house, a quick wave, "See you soon!"
"Okie Dokie, Lyrokie, see you tonight!" Pinkie Pie pronks off, both exhilarated that things went well and a little miffed at the likely rejection.