"Oh my gosh! Is that-? Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!"
Lyra Heartstrings, a mint-green unicorn with a golden lyre for a cutie mark, had opened her mailbox to find a large envelope. However, this was not just any kind of envelope. Marked on the back was the Royal Canterlot Seal, a round amber emblem depicting the rulers of Equestria, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The image portrayed these beloved figures crossing each other in the sky as they each commanded the Sun and the Moon respectively.
In seconds high-pitched screams filled the air as Lyra repeatedly hopped around her mailbox in circles. One could even feel small tremors if he came within the vicinity of the mare's cottage. Despite this ongoing commotion, passersby ignored Lyra or at the least payed very little attention to her. To them a moment like this was much tamer when compared to other events that have occurred in this town. If a rampaging beast such as a hydra or a dragon showed up one day, the citizens would not be surprised, although they would still be downright terrified.
"Lyra?" another mare's voice called out after almost twenty minutes. "Hey! Calm down! What are you so excited about?"
Bon Bon, a pale earth pony with three wrapped pieces of candy for a cutie mark, grudgingly dragged her hooves out of Lyra's cottage. The mare was dressed in a long, violet nightgown. However it was hard for someone to ignore the state of her mane, a bracken of pink and blue hair. Her eyes were half-lidded and blinking occasionally as she stared blankly at the ecstatic mare before her.
Bon Bon was Lyra's best friend and current roommate. The two ponies had known each other as long as the other could remember. Originally born into upper class families in Canterlot, they were raised with the highest expectations. Unfortunately for their parents, the Canterlot life was simply not for them. When they grew old enough, the pair decided to escape the rules of high society and eventually settled down in the town of Ponyville.
Ponyville was a small, quiet town—or it used to be. Located a few miles southeast of the capital city, the town was built upon a vast hilly plain. Like many towns in Equestria, most of Ponyville's architecture had barely changed since its foundation aside from the minor adjustments to keep up with the customs of the modern world. Buildings were mostly straw-roofed cottages that were closely built together. Any places that did not conform to the style usually indicated it as some type of business such as the local library or town hall. Residents were common folk, average ponies who only wished for the best whether it was finding a job, raising a family, or just finding a nice place to stay.
After Canterlot, a friendly town like Ponyville was exactly what Lyra and Bon Bon desired. To them Canterlot had always been a place filled with rich uptight citizens who looked down upon anyone of a lower social standing. Those ponies' attitude always bothered the mares, especially Bon Bon. She personally saw the town as a blessing. The only thing keeping it from being paradise was Lyra's massive yet innocent tendency to annoy her. Bon Bon loved Lyra as a friend, but she had to admit that the mare's "habits" irritated her at times.
Bon Bon sat down and drowsily rubbed her eyes. Doing this had practically become a routine. She idly waited for any chance of Lyra calming down but soon lost her patience by the unicorn's twelfth giggle.
"Would you calm down already?!" she exclaimed while pressing her hooves against her head.
Finally noticing her friend's presence, Lyra quickly hopped towards Bon Bon and held up the envelope. The mare was almost shoving it into her face.
"Look! Look!"
Bon Bon sighed and gently pushed Lyra back. The earth pony was still half-asleep and thought nothing of it until her vision cleared enough for her to see the center.
"Is that...the Royal Canterlot Seal!?"
"Hay yeah!" she said nodding. "What do you think it is!?"
"Don't ask now! Hurry up and open it! If it's from Canterlot, It could be important!"
"Okay! Okay!"
Lyra quickly tore off the top portion of the envelope using her her teeth. Reaching inside she pulled out a scroll tied neatly with a large red ribbon. She undid the knot and hoofed the ribbon to Bon Bon before beginning to reading.
"Fancy handwriting..." Lyra remarked as she skimmed through the scroll's contents.
"Well? What does it say?"
"Dear Lyra Heartstrings,
Greetings from the royal city of Canterlot. I am sure you are most excited for the upcoming wedding to take place in two days.”
“Wedding?” Bon Bon repeated. “Did you hear about one?”
Lyra paused for a moment. “Hm… I think heard somepony mention it at the marketplace, but I didn’t think it was a royal wedding though…”
“Well keep reading. We’ll learn more about it eventually.”
“ On the behalf of Princess Celestia, you are cordially invited to the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard.
As requested by the Princess, you have also been given the honorable responsibility of being one of her bridesmaids. The envelope delivered along with this letter contains money for the train fare and other items you may deem necessary. You are expected to arrive by tomorrow morning. Please make no delays.
Sincerely,
The Minister of Royal Affairs"
"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?" Bon Bon said in a surprised tone. "Your old foalsitter?"
"Wow! She still remembers me! I haven't seen her in like...forever!"
"And she made you one of her bridesmaids. You must've been good friends."
"Yeah, we got along great!"
Lyra reminisced her early childhood in Canterlot. Her parents were constantly busy with their blossoming careers that they had no time to spend with their own daughter. Lyra strangely did not mind though. The thought of her parents coming into her room and giving a kiss every night while she slept was more than enough for her to excuse their absence. When alone or not spending time at a friend's house, an activity she did quite often, the family butler was usually the one to watch Lyra. But even his rising duties became too much that foalsitting would be impossible for him. Thankfully Lyra's parents were able to use their family connections to hire another foalsitter. However both of them were baffled to learn they actually acquired the niece of the Princesses themselves.
Her name was Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but she insisted on the nickname "Cadance" to make things simple. Even though her times spent with the princess were far apart, sometimes even months, Lyra was always excited to learn that Cadance would be foalsitting for the day. Though Lyra's parents set some standards, the most important one being "No leaving the property!", the pair tended to get mischievous, sometimes sneaking out for dessert at the nearby ice cream parlor. There was even one incident where they were caught by Lyra's mother, but the mare laughed and admitted she tended to break a few rules sometimes.
Eventually there came the moment for Cadance to leave permanently, but by that point Lyra's mother had chosen to quit her job and finally spend quality time with her daughter so no major problems resulted. At first Lyra did not know the reason for Cadance's departure, but she soon learned that Cadance was growing closer to inheriting the throne of another empire and had to leave to assume her new responsibilities.
"Though we kinda stopped seeing each other when my parents thought I outgrew the need for her." Lyra continued. "I wonder why she picked me though? It's been years. She would probably have closer friends to choose from..."
"Maybe she...wants to catch up with you after so long?"
“I don’t know… But still! We can’t pass up a chance like this! C'mon! Let's start packing for tomorrow! We can stay at my parents' house! I know how yours are still mad over the whole 'ditching Canterlot' thing..."
"Yeah..." she muttered while glancing to the side. "But what about the train fare? It sounded like it was only enough for one pony. And you know about our current financial situation due to the investments in your...special interest..."
Lyra frowned knowing Bon Bon was right. The mares had only been able to pay off some of their most recent bills due to Lyra's carefree spending. Now they were barely keeping themselves afloat with a piling debt. By Bon Bon calculations, their salaries at the marketplace would not break even until months later.
"C'mon," Lyra said failing to sound optimistic as she reached inside the envelope, "I'm sure there's enough for at least-..."
"Lyra?"
Bon Bon observed Lyra standing motionless and unresponsive, a very unusual state for her. The unicorn was wide-eyed with her mouth was agape. Bon Bon was about to nudge her paralyzed friend until Lyra quickly jumped back.
"Hay, this is enough for maybe a hundred ponies!" she exclaimed, her voice suddenly perked up again. "I've never seen this much...! In years, I mean!"
"Let me see." Bon Bon said in a skeptical tone.
Bon Bon grabbed the envelope from Lyra's hooves and examined its contents. Inside were gold coins known as Bits, Equestria's currency. What made these particular Bits special was that their faces were cut to depict the Sun and Moon individually on each side and that their rims were diamond-encrusted. Normal Bits were just simple coins with no special markings. More intricate designs meant more value, but even they were rare to see around the middle class.
"Sweet Celestia! Are those real diamond-encrusted Bits?! Did the Minister make a mistake or something?"
"Who cares?!" she exclaimed while hopping again. "What are we gonna spend it on?!"
"Save it! I still need to pay off some of your debts! Honestly, just because we were born into high society, Lyra, doesn't mean we should go spending our Bits all over the place..."
Lyra giggled hesitantly while rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry..."
"Anyway, I'll go start packing. What about you? Thinking about bringing anypony else?"
"Hm... But if I tell one pony, he'll tell another, then they'll tell two more, and then we'll get swamped by desperate ponies wanting to tag along, right...? Can the train even fit all those ponies?"
"I doubt it, but at least you're using your head for once! Just us then!"
The Next Day
"All aboard! Next stop, Canterlot!"
The Friendship Express, a six-car locomotive, departed Ponyville Train Station at the sound of the conductor's whistle. It would not be a long trip since the city was clearly visible from Ponyville, but it would still take a few hours as the tracks had to ascend the mountainside through spiraling tunnels. As for the passing scenery, there was not much to gawk at. It was mainly vast open fields with scattered patches of flora and a chain of tall snow-capped mountains in the distance. A large river occasionally came into view as the train rose to the summit of small hills. The water stemmed from Saddle Lake, the massive deposit for the mountain waterfall that flowed through Canterlot.
Inside the train's last passenger coach directly next to the caboose, Lyra and Bon Bon occupyied one of the many booths, each seated across from the other. Lyra, as usual for her, was sitting in a reclined position like any bipedal creature. This strange habit had always perplexed Bon Bon, but she normally kept it to herself out of respect. As the hour passed, the mares chatted amongst themselves, occasionally glancing outside at the repetitive image before them.
"Strange, isn't it?" Bon Bon suddenly asked.
"What? How I sit? C'mon! We've been over this! I just-!"
"No, not that!" She pointed to the side of the coach. "Nopony else seems to be here... You'd think a train bound for the capital would have more ponies riding it..."
Lyra looked around and saw that it was true. Every seat besides their own was empty. Seeing as how nopony else was going to use the other windows, Lyra used her magic to pulled down all the shades except hers. She did not understand why, but she always preferred rooms to be dark with only one light source.
"Maybe we just got lucky and got a car all to ourselves?" she asked shrugging.
"It’s possible, but still... I'm going to go check the next car."
Bon Bon stood up and walked towards the door leading to the next coach. As she reached for the handle, the door suddenly slid open as another pony came inside. She was a white unicorn with a backwards black double quaver cutie mark. Her wild mane was cobalt blue with cyan streaks, and she wore dark violet-tinted shades that veiled her eyes.
"Heeey." she greeted Bon Bon, dragging out the word. "What's up?"
"Oh! Uh...doing fine, thank you."
The mare pointed to the door. "You were...heading over to the next car?"
"Hm? Oh yeah! It was just weird since my friend and I were the only ponies in this car...before you came along of course."
"Ah, okay." she said nodding. "I get it. Yeah, there sure is a lack of ponies on this train today. There’s some more over in the next car, but... I wouldn't go in there if I were you."
Bon Bon tilted her head. "Why?"
"You guys are from Ponyville, right? Then you know that Twilight Sparkle girl?"
"Twilight? Yeah, we've seen her around plenty of times. Lyra even went to borrow a book from her library just last week."
"Well, she seems upset that her brother, Shining Armor, is getting married to this princess chick for some reason."
"Wait... Princess Cadance's groom is Twilight's brother?!"
"Candance?" She repeated the princess' name while putting a different spin on the pronunciation each time. "Is that her nickname or something? Huh... That sounds much better than her real one. Anyway, yeah. I was kinda surprised too. You'd think somepony would mention her brother being a Captain of the Royal Guard once in a while..."
Bon Bon turned to Lyra who was staring out the window. "Did you know about this?"
"Who? Shining Armor? Yeah, Candance sometimes fantasized about him when we she foalsat me, saying how 'cute', 'hot', and 'dreamy' he was...and other things too... I thought it was just teenage hormones talkin' so I just played along."
"But you knew he was Twilight's brother..."
"Yeah, but I just kept it on the down low. Didn't think it was that important. I mean I know some ponies in Ponyville that would die wanting to meet a Captain of the Royal Guard. Things could've gotten outta control. I didn't wanna do that to Twilight."
Bon Bon sighed and faced the new pony again. "Anyway, I'm Bon Bon. My friend's name is Lyra. What about you?"
"Vinyl Scratch." the unicorn replied. "Or my handle, DJ P0N-3. Whatever floats your boat if fine with me."
"So why did you come here, Vinyl?"
She motioned her hoof in a circle towards her own head. "Eh, I just had to get away from the craziness over there. Twilight also brought her friends so-"
Vinyl paused mid-sentence as the train entered a mountain tunnel, plunging the car into pitch darkness.
"BEST WEDDING EVER!!!" a high-pitched voice exclaimed, making the three mares cringe. The echoing effects of the tunnel only served to extend its duration.
"-Pinkie Pie's there..." Vinyl continued with a small laugh.
"Pinkie Pie?" Bon Bon repeated. Knowing this specific mare's reputation in Ponyville, she sighed. "Let me guess... She's in charge of the reception?"
"Yup! And I'm DJ-ing! Why? Don'cha like Pinkie's parties?"
"No, I do like them! It's just... I was expecting the reception for a royal wedding to be more...formal, y'know?"
"Oh, right. Well everything else is still all fancy-like so you don't have to worry about that! Thank Celestia I don't have to wear one of those fancy dresses though! Besides, a thing like this comes only once in a lifetime! Let's just have a good time!"
Bon Bon only chuckled and nodded as a response.
"Hey, mind if I sit with you guys? It ain't fun sittin’ by yourself, y'know."
"Sure!" Lyra exclaimed as she patted the cushion next to her. "The more, the merrier!"
Bon Bon returned to her seat while Vinyl sat next to Lyra. Almost immediately Lyra started asking Vinyl questions, specially about who she was. The disc jockey explained she was a traveler, a wanderer who never stayed in the same place for long. She made her living by playing at various nightclubs across Equestria. There was hardly any place that she had not visited. On top of being a disc jockey, Vinyl occasionally experimented with creating music. She was skilled in the bass guitar, but she never produced any original songs of her own. Though that did not prevent her from joining other bands as a guest musician.
Eventually the conversation shifted into Lyra and Bon Bon telling Vinyl more about themselves. Lyra spent the most time talking while Bon Bon provided extra details if descriptions were unclear. The mares talked about their lives in Ponyville and the many memorable events that had taken place there.
"No way!" Vinyl exclaimed. "That was here!? I was wondering where all those parasprites came from! Hahaha!"
"I'm really sorry that happened." Bon Bon said giggling.
"Naw! Sure, we had to cancel the gig, but it was fun with all that chaos! It was a tough crowd anyway!"
"At least you had Celestia's help!" Lyra exclaimed. "That parasprite ate my slice of strawberry pie!"
"Are you ever going to get over that?" Bon Bon asked. "Besides, I bought you another one."
"Yeah, but that one was a smaller piece! The original one had perfect dimensions!"
"Alright," Vinyl said while motioning her hooves up and down, "let's not fight. Say, Lyra, there's something I gotta ask though...I'm not sure if I should..."
"Go ahead. It's hard for me to get offended! Hehe!"
Bon Bon stared back and forth between the two mares. She soon caught Vinyl glancing at Lyra's lower half. Realizing what the disc jockey was about to ask, she attempted to speak up but was too late.
"Why are you sitting like that? It looks...weird..."
"Hm? Oh, I just find it more comfy."
"You don't say..." Vinyl stood up and sat back down again, this time mimicking Lyra's position. "Heeey! This is comfy!"
"Not you too..." Bon Bon groaned.
"Woah! What the hay is that?" Lyra exclaimed.
Bon Bon and Vinyl stared at mare but then realized she was gazing outside the window. Canterlot was coming into view, but a massive pink, transparent barrier was now encasing the entire city. It looked like a giant sphere had become wedged inside the mountain.
"I've never seen a magic barrier that big before..." Bon Bon remarked.
"I have," Vinyl said, "but that was used for special effects during a gig I was doing..."
"Why do you think the city's like that?" Lyra wondered aloud.
"I guess we'll just have to find out when we get there..."
The train reduced its speed just outside the barrier where two unicorn guards were standing by their posts. After examining the cars, they each raised their spears granting passage. Instead of going through an opening, the train simply phased through unharmed. Inside the coach, the three mares panicked for a moment and quickly shut their eyes as the barrier rapidly approached them. They felt a slight tingling sensation once their bodies passed through, but the barrier had no ill effects to their relief.
Now inside the city, the train continued to Canterlot Station. It passed through a tall archway and came to stop at the platform a few meters ahead. Upon the conductor's call, the coaches' doors were opened.
"Hey, do you guys mind if I come with?" Vinyl asked.
Lyra and Bon Bon looked at each other, each waiting for the other say something. Both of them would not mind another companion with them, but there was still one matter that concerned them.
"It's fine," Bon Bon replied, "but what about setting up for the reception?"
"You're both headin’ to the castle, right? Then we're both goin' to the same place! Besides, Pinkie's got it all covered and the party's not gonna start 'til tomorrow night!"
"Alright," Lyra said, "but we're stopping by my parents' house on the way. You don't mind, right?"
"Sure, go ahead! Just hold on a minute. I just need to make sure these guards don't break my... Uh...special surprise."
Lyra and Bon Bon watched Vinyl head towards the caboose where most of the larger items were being stored. The pair retrieved their smaller luggage as they waited for the unicorn's return, but she never showed after almost ten minutes. If they did not get off soon, the train would be heading to its next stop in the very distant city of Vanhooyer. Eventually, Lyra turned her head towards the window to see Vinyl tapping on the glass, quickly telling the mares to come out.
"Sorry about that." Vinyl apologized once they were all outside. "I stepped off the train and the guard wouldn't let me back on. It just had to be the stingy one..."
"Did he happen to say why this magic barrier is up?" Bon Bon asked as she handed her and Lyra's suitcases to a guard.
"Oh, um… I think they got 'suspicious reports' about something ‘making a threat against Canterlot’ or something like that. It's why you're seeing tons of guards around."
Bon Bon looked around and like Vinyl said, there were a large number of golden clad guards around the platform. There was practically one standing in every corner of the station along with rows gathered on the rooftop. Pegasus guards were also patrolling the skies, sometimes even accompanied by a member of the Wonderbolts, one of Equestria's finest flying squadrons identified by the blue suits with yellow streaks shaped like lightning.
"The must really be on high alert..."
"Eh, don't worry about." Lyra said. "C'mon, Vinyl. My old house is this way!"
Lyra escorted her friends out of the train station and onto the bustling streets of Canterlot. Since they were still in the outer section of the city, regular middle class ponies were much more common to find. Compared to a normal day, there was quite a large number of them. Most of them were engaged in various common activities ranging from chatting among themselves to browsing through the merchandise in the windows displays.
As the group made their way to the center square, Lyra caught a glimpse of a familiar pair standing by the fountain depicting Princess Celestia in statue form. One of the ponies was a brown stallion with a spiky dark brown mane in a slicked-back style. He had an hourglass cutie mark and wore a white collar with a long green tie. The other one was a gray pegasus mare with a blonde mane and bubbles for a cutie mark. A very noticeable characteristic was her constant cross-eyed expression wherever she looked.
"Hey!" Lyra exclaimed as she weaved her way through the crowd. "Doctor! Derpy!"
The stallion seemed surprised when he turned his head, but he still smiled and waved back. He quickly nudged his friend who had been staring into the fountain.
"Hello, Lyra!" he said in his strange, exotic accent. It was not one many ponies had heard before meeting this stallion. "And Bon Bon too! Fancy meeting you mares here!"
"Friends of yours?" Vinyl asked.
"Oh sorry, Vinyl." Bon Bon apologized. "Doctor. Derpy. This is Vinyl Scratch. We met on the train ride here."
"Pleasure to meet you." the Doctor said shaking her hoof.
"What's up!" Derpy happily exclaimed.
"Nice to meet ya!" Vinyl replied. "So what are you two doin' in Canterlot? I’m guessing you’re not from here?"
"This was the last stop on my delivery route." Derpy answered first. "Plus I'm off tomorrow. Thought I'd just stick around for the wedding."
"And Derpy insisted that I come along with her." the Doctor added. "It’s a shame Dinky didn't want to be here earlier. But I know she vastly prefers spending time with that Pipsqueak lad and her other friends. Oh well..."
"What about you guys?"
"I'm DJ-ing for tonight's party!" Vinyl proudly exclaimed.
"I'm just here with Lyra." Bon Bon said. "She's going to be-"
"I'm gonna be one of Candance's bridesmaids!" Lyra quickly finished for her.
"Oh, that must be an honor!" the Doctor said. "Are you close friends with the Princess?"
"Well...yeah, but that was years ago. This is actually the first time I'll get to see her since then! It'll be great!"
"That long...? Don't you think that's a bit...strange? I mean to make a friend who you haven't seen in years one of your bridesmaids?"
"I thought so too," Bon Bon responded, "but I suggested that Princess Cadence is just trying to get close to her older friends again. She was always the friendly and fun-loving type by how I remember her."
"I suppose that make sense, but...it still seems fishy to me..."
"Oh c'mon, guys!" Lyra interrupted. "Candance isn't some evil monarch trying to take over Canterlot! Let's just get going. I'll be late at this rate."
"Hehe... Rhymey..." Derpy mumbled.
"Would you like to come with us?" Bon Bon asked. "You'll get to meet Princess Cadance in person."
"I would love to," the Doctor replied, "but I'm afraid I'll have to decline. Derpy and I are meeting an important friend at Pony Joe's in a quarter of an hour. Perhaps you could save us front row spots at the ceremony?"
"Alright, I'll try! Goodbye, you two!"
The Doctor and Derpy waved goodbye to the trio as the mares hurried along the northern road to the upper district. Lyra in particular was dashing ahead of the others, quickly motioning her arms while Bon Bon was angrily yelling at her. While this was happening, Vinyl smiled and simply laughed at the back-and-forth banter between the mares.
"Hey, Doc..."
"Yes, Derpy?"
"We're not meeting a friend at Pony Joe's..."
"I know. I just didn't want to get them involved is all. Well then, shall we go?"
Ten minutes later
"Lyra! Bon Bon! It's so nice to see you!"
Within Canterlot's upper district, Lyra's group came to a large, two-story residence. Unlike most of the nearby buildings, this one was actually separate from the others rather than being built close together. The house was contained within a metal-fenced property although the front gate was left wide open. A cobblestone path passed through a small garden where twin fountains modeled after the Princesses were surrounded in circles of flowerbeds.
Standing under the doorway with a warm smile was a yellow unicorn mare. Her golden hair glimmered in the sunlight. Particularly shining was the white streak it shared with Lyra. The mare's cutie mark was not visible, covered by an elegant white dress with a high collar.
"Hi, Mrs. Heartstrings." Bon Bon said after receiving a powerful hug from the mare. "This is Vinyl. She's coming with us to the castle."
"Nice to meet you, dear! I hope my Lyra hasn't been too much of a bother to you!"
"Naaah," the disc jockey replied, "she's cool."
Vinyl peeked behind the mare to see a wide collection of exotic furniture and other ornamental decorations inside glass display cases. Some of them even seemed foreign in origin. Vinyl could definitely recognize a few items crafted by griffons and even dragons.
"Sweet pad you've got there."
"Oh, well yes!" Mrs. Heartstrings said slightly embarrassed. "They're mostly my husband's though. I honestly prefer to keep things simple, but I will admit I absolutely love his tastes!"
Lyra's father was an avid antique collector. He loved to acquire rare and valuable artifacts though unlike most of Canterlot's collectors, Lyra's father actually worked for them rather than purchasing them at an auction house. Lyra even recalled a moment where he spent sleepless nights in order to receive a sword dating back to the Discord Era.
"Where is Dad, anyway?"
"He went out to an important meeting. Don't worry though! He'll surely be back by in time for the wedding. Perhaps you could surprise him there? He's been a little depressed lately that he can't see his 'precious baby girl' as much anymore."
"Oh, Dad..." Lyra said blushing. "Anyway, Bon Bon needs a place to crash for the night. Is the guest room still clean?"
"Absolutely! What about your luggage, Bon Bon?"
"A guard should be bringing it here soon." the earth pony replied. “Though with all of them on high alert like this, I can't be entirely sure.”
"It’s okay. I'll have the butler keep an eye out for it. Now what's the occasion?"
"I'm one of the bridesmaids!" Lyra exclaimed.
"Wha-...? Dear Sweet Celestia! Princess Cadance chose you?! Then why are you still here?! Go on! Go! Have the time of your life, girls!"
Mrs. Heartstrings quickly pushed her daughter and her companions out the front gate, urging them onwards to the castle. Lyra and Bon Bon protested at first, originally expecting the stay a little longer. However, Lyra's mother was resistant and took it upon herself to personally force them two city blocks before finally returning to the manor. With nowhere left to go, the mares continued their way to Canterlot Castle.
"Hey, Bon Bon." Vinyl said. "Didn't you say both you're from Canterlot? Why not stay at your folks?"
"They're...kind of the opposite of Lyra's parents. Mr. And Mrs. Heartstrings were completely okay with Lyra leaving Canterlot for Ponyville. They just wanted her to be happy with her life. My parents...are still angry I quit being their 'perfect girl'. I don't think they even know where I went after I stormed out the front door..."
Bon Bon's past lifestyle was, as she described, the opposite compared to Lyra. Her parents always pushed her to be the best but without the loving support a filly would need. She was always expected to be the best at everything in hopes the family could finally rise beyond the upper class and into nobility. Whenever Bon Bon made a mistake, it was not tolerated. Punishments varied depending on what she did whether it be hours of intense study or the rare slap on the face. The only refuge Bon Bon found was with her friends, but even that was difficult to do. Her parents were extremely strict on which families they approved of and that most of the children from the "approved" families were either stuck-up, snobbish, or spoiled to the core.
Thankfully Lyra's family were close acquaintances though Bon Bon suspected it was mainly due to their vast fortune and close ties with the throne. It did not matter to Bon Bon as she finally had a legitimate friend. She would normally venture to Lyra's house whenever possible to vent her frustrations. Lyra had suggested multiple times to let her own parents talk to Bon Bon's, but the earth pony always declined thinking it would be useless and possibly, if not definitely, put Lyra's family in "shun" status.
"Oh..." Vinyl turned her head, hesitant to look back. "Sorry about bringing it up..."
"No, no... It's fine. I know I should make up with them, but...I don't think I can do that right now..."
"Hey, it's all good! My folks are mad at me too! For some different reasons though, but I feel you!"
"...Thanks, Vinyl." she said with a knowing smile.
The group continued along the ascending street to the mountain's cliffside summit until they reached Canterlot Castle's outer wall. It stood across across a small flowing river that poured over the nearby cliff into the massive lake at the base of the mountain. A lowered wooden drawbridge was the only way across. Standing by the entrance gate was a single guard, a gray unicorn, though two more of his pegasus comrades were stationed above as lookouts.
"Hello there." the guard kindly greeted them. "Purpose of this visit, please."
He spoke with a refined accent that was very common in this city, but his friendly behavior was quite different than what one would usually expect from a royal guard, quite the opposite.
Lyra handed the guard her letter. "I think this'll explain it. These two are with me."
The guard took a moment to quickly read the invitation. "Oh! Another one! You better hurry. I think you're the last one to arrive!" He fired a small magic flare from his horn. Understanding this, the other guards began opening the metal gate. "Enjoy your stay."
The mares proceeded inside once the gate was fully raised and continued to the entrance courtyard. It was a large, open, hilly space filled with dirt paths, green patches, and small ponds. Even here a dotted chain of guards formed a perimeter around the area. More were also gathered in a group on the balcony of the main building, a portion of them leaving for the city or taking flight time from time.
After looking around, the group found two mares waiting by the door to the eastern wing. Bon Bon and Vinyl could only stare, completely baffled by these ponies' appearance. The first one was a unicorn, but she shared Bon Bon’s body color (a more lighter and whiter version) and even her hairstyle. The only other differences were that her mane was completely pink rather than Bon Bon’s alternating colors of blue and pink and that she had three stars for a cutie mark. The second pony was also a unicorn. She was basically a blue-shaded version of Lyra with an hourglass cutie mark just like the Doctor.
“Uh… Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Vinyl whispered to Bon Bon.
Bon Bon only nodded and made a quiet sound that Vinyl assumed to be an agreement.
"Hey there!” Lyra exclaimed while shaking the blue mare's hoof. The idea of meeting her doppelganger did not disturb her at all, or at least passed completely over her head. “I'm Lyra! I couldn't help but notice we have the same hairstyle! Who's your barber?"
"Well, we're not from Canterlot," the pink mare responded. "Ponyville actually. And we go to that beauty parlor right next to the spa."
"Oh! No wonder! I go to the same place too! I can't believe we’ve never ran into each other! What are the odds?"
The blue mare laughed. "Hehe! Weird how big a small town like Ponyville could be!"
"So who are you guys?"
"I'm Minuette though some of my friends call me Colgate. This here's Twinkleshine. We're waiting for Princess Cadance to come back. We're her bridesmaids."
Lyra gasped. "Me too! Nice to meet you! Am I too late or...?"
Minuette giggled. "A little, but I wouldn't worry about it. She just went to check up on her groom though I don't know how long she'll take."
"Oh, alright." Lyra turned her attention to Bon Bon and Vinyl, waving for them to come forward. "Hey, guys! You wanna stick around to say 'Hi'?!"
"Hold on!" Bon Bon exclaimed as she took Vinyl aside. "I'm really sorry for making you wait a lot, Vinyl. Do you want to just meet up with Pinkie Pie now to set up for the reception?"
"I'll stick around." the mare answered. "Not very often you get to meet a princess up close and in person."
Bon Bon and Vinyl joined Lyra and her new friends. After introductions, they all began discussing their separate trips until now. Lyra let Bon Bon explain their story starting from when they found the envelope in their mailbox. Colgate and Twinkeshine also shared similar stories as well. They too knew the princess as foals, but certain events cause them to lose touch with her. Lyra found it funny, but Bon Bon and Vinyl found it perplexing.
“You girls…haven’t seen the Princess in years too?”
“Weird, right?” Minuette asked. “I wonder why Cadance choose us...?”
“H-Hey! C’mon” Lyra interrupted. “Let’s not turn this into conspiracy theories! We can talk about-!”
Before Lyra could continue, the large double doors slowly opened to reveal a pink alicorn calmly walking outside. Her long, dark violet mane had equally sized streaks of rose and gold that were curled at the end. Her cutie mark was also quite unique, a heart-shaped crystal bordered by gold lace. The golden tiara, necklace, and footwear obviously signified her status and identity.
“Cadance!” Lyra exclaimed.
The Princess did not respond and coldly stared at the group.
“It’s me! Y’know…Lyra? You remember those times you foalsat me?”
“Uh, did I ask you to speak?” Cadance answered in a condescending manner. “And why are you not bowing? Don’t you know how to behave in front of a princess?”
“Huh? But you never-”
"Ahem! I'm waiting!”
Startled by the tone of her voice, everyone quickly bowed down to appease the princess. Bon Bon was forced to quickly pull down Lyra whose body seemed to be paralyzed.
“That’s better.” Cadance remarked as she observed all of them. “Finally you three are here. Come with me. We still have to check on the wedding preparations.”
Lyra was hesitating to speak now. “W-wait. Can my friends…come too?”
“What? Of course not! Now hurry up!”
Princess Cadance began walking back inside with Minuette and Twinkleshine following closely behind her though they were looking back with unsure expressions. Meanwhile Lyra sat down on the pavement, staring at the ground with a blank expression. Her mind was repeatedly flickering images of the Cadance she once knew and the Cadance she just witnessed. After her friend was not moving for almost a minute, Bon Bon walked up and placed a hoof on Lyra's shoulder.
“You okay?”
“I’m alright…” Lyra muttered.
“Wow…” Vinyl said aloud. “I don’t even know how to describe that… Is she even really a princess? That attitude and that vibe she gave off was just… Wow…”
“Maybe she… Maybe she’s just stressed out? I mean…a royal wedding is a big thing, right? Yeah…that could be it…”
“You should hurry and catch up with them.” Bon Bon told her. “And I know it might be asking too much, but try to put on a happy face. Maybe you and those girls can figure out something. Try to find something that'll trigger fond memories.”
“Alright…”
Lyra took a deep breath and regained her composure. Putting on a confident expression, she quickly ran inside and disappeared down the long hallway. Back in the courtyard, Bon Bon took the liberty of closing the doors herself.
“Lyra seemed really upset.” Vinyl remarked.
“She can get…really attached to a person. I really didn’t know what would happen if somepony close to her changed that drastically.”
“So like…Cadance was a ‘Luna’ and now she’s a ‘Nightmare Moon’?”
“I guess that’s one way of putting it… Still, something's not right. I spent some time with her too and there's no way in Tartarus the Cadance I knew would behave like that...”