Jumping In At The Deep End

by Anotherrandom


Chapter Eight: Plans Meeting Reality

In a small, seemingly unremarkable township of Ponyville, the morning began. It did so with a startling frequency, and was about the only thing that happened regularly in Ponyville. 

The flowers opened their colorful reproductive organs, the birds entered a screaming match with each other, and the yellow orb of superheated plasma in the sky shone brightly. 

Many would even say that that's the point of having an orb of superheated plasma - providing life with light and heat. The sun would not argue with this assessment too much, being a ball of plasma and all, but it also moved, which was very important for the life part of the equation. 

Well, it moved most of the time. 

The few notable exceptions were, at least as far as ponies knew, the reign of Discord; the legendary Long Night rebellion; that one time Celestia overslept; and, to the growing worry of a tiny green filly, tomorrow.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.  

In this seemingly unremarkable town were houses.

Which, to be fair, was kind of a given. Buildings are a hard requirement for a town to be considered… well, a town. 

A town without buildings in it is called a field. 

One of these houses was nothing special, entirely matching the house-ness of its housy neighbors. Straw roof, whitened outer walls. A place where people lived. A home, or it at least tried to be. Not all places where people lived were homes, sadly, but this house tried its best. 

Towards it, a shadowy figure crept closer, before suddenly leaping into a cart filled with hay and vanishing from sight. 

That figure was short and green, with a frazzled black mane, and she carried a burlap sack.

Anon took a quick look from her hiding spot, the hay forming a cap of yellow straw on her head.

Where are they?

There was a good reason why the jumper was reenacting scenes from Looney Tunes. 

She was being chased. 

A pink blur zipped into view, then stopped with a squealing sound closer to a fast braking car than a pony. Pinkie Pie's eyes scanned every inch of the street as black smoke raised from her hooves. 

Anon froze, not daring to take a breath as the pink menace’s gaze panned over her hiding spot.

Something fell behind them, clattering on the cobblestone street.

The party-pony made a sharp turn towards the noise, bolting after it with the vigor of a bloodhound on the scent. 

Anon waited for a few more tense moments before finally taking precious oxygen into her lungs, and continued sneaking towards the house.

Coming face-to-face with a wall.

I could use my powers, or…

Anon gripped onto the wooden beams embedded into the wall, climbing towards the window she had left open for this exact purpose. 

Her movements were fluid and calm. She used the sack as a counterweight to throw herself inside the open window, landing softly on the carpet.

The room had changed a little in the two weeks she’d been staying there. There was now a pile of toys gathering dust in the corner, and a bookshelf filled with children's literature she couldn't read, next to a bed still too comfortable to sleep on. Lyra’s solution was to make the bed even more comfortable, by getting a mattress that felt like laying on a warm, fluffy cloud.

Anon did not use the bed. 

The coast is clear. Time to hide the evidence.

First, she shuddered and phased. All the grime on her fur and the hay stuck in her mane fell to the floor, before being swept under the carpet. Next, she closed her eyes, her healthy hoof outstretched above the burlap sack.

And then she stomped on it.

Reality, already bruised, got yet another smackdown as the sack sunk into the floor, sending ripples across its surface like a heavy stone thrown into a lake. 

Well, this puts another meaning onto floating floors. 

Anon gave a content sigh - the evidence of her night expedition hidden, it was finally time to get some well-deserved rest. 

And that was when it struck. An inkling, a little itch in the back of her brain, incessant, persistent and getting louder and louder by the second. The kind of itch one gets when you leave your friend’s home and suddenly begin wondering if you forgot your keys, despite remembering putting them in your pocket. You know they’re there, you put them there only moments ago, but the itch is getting stronger and stronger yet you're just so sure that they are there but it's still growing and you’re getting desperate and just have to make sure but you know they are there!

The filly checked her saddlebags. Struggling with the straps, her hooves felt far more inadequate than usual. Her mind too fuzzy and unfocused to get a grasp on her unicorn magic. 

Until it opened at last. 

Its still there.

The magelight lay safely in the saddlebags, glowing softly in shades of gold. “Sorry for the bumpy ride-” she picked up the orb, her own reflections distorted on its glassy surface. “-but hey, this whole thing was your idea in the first place, so…” 

Celestia finding the orb was advantageous in the end - seeing that a version of hers trusted the jumper with something so valuable gave Anon an air of trustworthiness. But being separated too long from any of her possessions felt wrong, and this one… This one was even more special than the others.

When Anon was in the hospital, she was at least comfortable in the knowledge that she could have retrieved them at any moment, if she needed to. Having them confiscated by Celestia's agents and outside her reach was… nonideal. 

But she had them back. All of them. 

Anon nudged the artifact, hoping for a reaction.

Nothing, like always.

“Well, now I feel insane. Talking to rocks. Hah.”

It's not the talking to rocks that's insane, it's the fact that I'm expecting an answer.

She put the orb back in and collapsed into the mess of pillows and blankets on the floor. Muscles aching, the exhausted filly let a dreamless sleep claim her. 

"Wakey wakey Spring!"

For five whole minutes.

Lyra walked towards the curtains to let the sun in.

How did she get in? I thought I locked the doors.

"It's time to get ready, we have a busy day in front of us," exclaimed Lyra happily. 

Anon groaned, light attacking her mercilessly despite a weak attempt at hiding her head under a pillow. 

Curse you Celestia and your unreasonably fast sunrises! 

"Ughmmm," was Anon's very verbose response.

"I also brought you something!"

The filly yawned and got up, shaking off the remnant of her whole five minutes of sleep.

Lyra gave her a hopeful look. In her amber-coloured magic was a stuffed animal, looking closer to a Chernobyl reject than anything that had any right to exist. A cursed mix of a lion and a scorpion. 

And it had wings.

Those things are real here, aren't they?

"So?" Lyra asked enthusiastically.

It was large, plush, and looked like it would make an excellent pillow right now. 

Anon tried her best to appear excited.

Tried - an apt word for it.

"It's… cute," Anon said slowly. Taking the stuffed manticore and in her healthy hoof and putting it next to the growing pile of toys in the corner.

"You don't like it," said Lyra flatly. It wasn't even an accusation, simply stating the obvious.

Alarm bells went off in Anon's head. 

This mare was hosting her, feeding her and, plainly, just being nice to her. And here she was, taking advantage of a stranger's goodwill. And what did Lyra get in return?

Nothing, plain and simple. No, worse than nothing. Just by being here, she was robbing Lyra of a chance to have a real family. 

And if that wasn't enough, Lyra was hurting now. Why? Because she wanted to make Spring Break, the foal that didn't exist, happy. 

At least pretend to play with it, you dunce! 

"No! I like it, see?" she reassured Lyra weakly, taking the toy from the pile and waving it in the air and making noises.

It evidently wasn't very convincing.

Lyra grimaced, her expression sour. "... Right." she said finally. "Breakfast is ready. Bonnie will take you to the doctor today. I’ll be at the rehearsal, kay? 

“M’kay,” Anon said, sitting on her haunches and waiting. 

The words rang hollow to Lyra, who could taste the air of annoyance and discomfort around the filly. "Are you alright? If something’s wro-"

"Nope! I'm fine. Nothing to worry about here!" was the quick reply. 

The mare gave a long sigh. "Spring, if you need- If you want anything. Just ask, okay?" 

"Sure." 

Lyra hesitated for a moment, looking torn over something, before sighing again and leaving the room.

Anon facehooved.

Great, that didn't work. I really should have taken those acting classes.

The jumper locked the doors and pulled out her journal from inside the bedframe - with what was coming, this would be her last chance to write something for some time. The pen glided ungracefully above the paper, writing with haste.
 

I set everything up. The magelight is rigged, and I’ve got enough ingredients for another batch if needed. Iron oxide was easy enough, sulfur was harder but manageable, but the locals have not discovered electrolysis or any other means to extract anything useful from bauxite, so I had to improvise. The mixture worked when I tested it so I'm hopefully set on that front. 

She glanced outside, no sign of the pink devil.

Salvaged more gear just in case shit goes south and I will need to hide in the woods. The Pink One nearly got me, but I got lucky. Something distracted her at the last moment again. Maybe I do have a guardian angel? Nah, that’s ridiculous. Who would that even be?

"Spring, your breakfast is getting cold!" called out Bon Bon from downstairs.

"Coming!"

Anyway, all the pieces are in place. Last time, I ran, like always. But this time? 

I’ll be ready. 

I’ll be ready.

Day 1244ish, signing off


Bon Bon slumped back down onto her chair, frowning. "What's taking her so long?” 

Lyra shuffled closer to her marefriend, booping her snout and causing Bon Bon to blink a few times. "Don't be grumpy, Bonnie."

"I'm not grumpy," Bon Bon huffed, tail swishing in agitation. “Just tired. The new orders are so… Argh!”

Having to sneak out of bed to follow some crazed extra-planar entity, wandering into the Everfree at the dead of night, put a damper on her mood. The breaking-and-entering into a few different places around Ponyville also did little to endear her to the idea of having to watch over Anon. At least she only stole junk, by the looks of it, but that was a small reassurance to ponies who no longer felt safe in their own homes .

And of course, having to distract Pinkie, and nearly getting caught by her. 

And how did the Boss react? ‘Keep watching the entity!’ The agency was preparing for the inevitable return of Nightmare Moon and she was stuck watching from the sidelines, babysitting some-

“Okay so maybe I'm a little grumpy,” Bon Bon admitted.

Lyra hugged her. “Don't worry, the celebration will be over soon."

Bon Bon hugged her back, her worries seeming a little less important just for a moment. "Hmm, and don't forget the rehearsal. I still plan to go there and see you play."

Lyra giggled. "It's just a rehearsal. You can see me play tomorrow. Don't you have a full schedule, taking Spring to the doctor and getting your orders ready?"

Lyra was right, of course. She had a tight schedule to keep, but there was no chance in Tartarus she would miss the chance to hear Lyra play. 

Not with what was coming tomorrow - not with the risk it carried, the risk of never hearing Lyra play again if she failed. 

Bon Bon's muzzle scrunched in determination. "Not missing it. Doesn't matter how busy I get."

Lyra paused, a devilish smile appeared on her muzzle. “You're so stressed lately. Who would have imagined that candy making can be so hard on a pony! I thought it was supposed to be a sweet deal?”
 
Bon Bon nodded. “Yeah, I…” the corners of her mouth twitched upwards. “Lyra! That was horrible! Even by your standards!”

Lyra beamed, grinning from ear to ear. “Then why are you smiling?” 
  
As the universe has its own sense of humor, that was the moment the floorboards under Anon's hooves made a loud creaking noise as the filly was climbing onto the table to stuff her face full of hay bacon. 

In reality, the creaking floorboards were no accident. Sweetie Drops took great care to make all the floorboards in the house creaky to act as a forewarning mechanism. 

It evidently worked as it caught the filly in its grasp.

Quick, think of a distraction! 

Anon swallowed and gave them a sheepish smile. “Ehm, don't mint me?” 

While Bon Bon groaned, somewhere else a studious unicorn in a color intermediate between red and blue found a very special book.

And opened it. 

Deep within the Everfree forest, in a cave not visited by a pony in centuries, is a crystal tree, marked with a six-pointed star. Gray and seemingly dead, it then did something it hadn't done in nearly a thousand years. 

It started shimmering. 


"Aaand done! Good as new, shouldn't even leave a scar."

Her daily visits at the doctor's office were relatively pleasant affairs, and Anon was thankful for having an actual doctor care for her injuries for once. More importantly, she was finally free of the bandages around her leg.

"Thank you Doc," Bon Bon said, getting up from where she was waiting until Doctor Horse was done examining the green filly, a pink box marked with her cutie mark at her side. “We really appreciate all the help.”

The agent was familiar with the hospital and the ponies running it - Lyra had to visit periodically, and Bon Bon frequently accompanied her. As silly as the Ponyville's medical professionals often were, they never failed in their duties, and together made Lyra’s quality of life so much better. Something Bon Bon was eternally indebted to them for. 

And she always paid her debts. 

The doctor drooled, desperately trying to avoid staring at the box faintly smelling of vanilla and chocolate. “Err, yes. I love my job and all that. See you next Tuesday. Now, go and enjoy the celebration!” 

Nurse Red Heart walked by the open door, her attention instantly brought to the sweets. “Doctor, is that a box of Bon Bon’s mini donuts?”

“Back off! These are mine! MINE!”

The green filly was ushered away as Bon Bon quickly led her outside, just as the doctor hissed at the nurse, who started throwing pencils.

Bon Bon smirked. This routine was well known to her by now. 

In a hospital, it was crucial for all the medical staff to work together for the betterment of their patients. The Ponyville hospital was filled with true veterans of all Ponyville’s strangess, treating all manner of injuries with expertise not seen anywhere else in Equestria, with maybe the exception of the medical corp of Royal Guard, who had better equipment and training but only half the experience a pony like nurse Red Heart had. 

But all of this went right out the window when snacks got involved. The average hospital staff worked twelve-hour shifts, surviving on coffee and pure stubbornness. Having anything sweet with the coffee was a blessing, and unending warfare was waged over the contents of a pink box next to the coffee machine, delivered every morning by Bon Bon herself as a show of gratitude.

The nurse deftly parried a thrown stethoscope, snatched the box of donuts out of the doctor’s hooves, and slammed the doors behind her in one fluid motion. The thin material suffered an impact, causing a pony-shaped outline to be dented into it. The nurse, the same kind nurse who stood up to the royal guard for Anon and cheered for her when she had returned from Canterlot. The same nurse who made sure Anon was okay after every checkup and offered her a lollipop. That very same nurse now cackled madly. “Hahaha! Sweet, sweet victory!” 

"Give them back, you she-demon!" was the muffled response from the doctor's office.

"Never!"

After the jumper and the agent discreetly vacated the hospital premises, the sounds of conflict were drowned out by murmurs of the town square, prepared fully for the festival.

Anon gulped. If she thought the town had been crowded before, now it was absolutely packed. There were more equines per square meter here than in the average Mongol horde.  

Bon Bon stepped into the crowd. Anon following close, head hung low, ears swaying and turning in every direction, tail tucked in between her hindlegs. The filly noticed whole groups of ponies erupting in songs - heartsongs. 

Their existence was worrying for Anon.

What caught her attention was the fact that ponies could just… refuse to be a part of a heartsong. She saw several times Lyra and Bon Bon simply snap themselves out of a heartsong when they were pressed for time. Continuing on with their day like there wasn't a musical going on around them. 

Anon, unfortunately, didn't have that option. Well, not anymore at least. Since her natural defense against altering magic was stolen from her, even the relatively harmless forms of altering magic became a serious danger for the jumper, be it mind, soul, body, or even emotions.

And what a shame it was. Heartsongs, for all their worrying implications, were actually pretty fun. But the loss of self-control made it unacceptable for her to partake in them. From what she saw, the magic simply relayed strong emotions from one pony to another. She had enough experience with different magic systems to recognise that emotions were quite magical in this world, alongside everything else. Enough emotions equaled lots of magic, and poof! You get a musical number, enjoy!

But Anon had a secret weapon to protect her from suddenly springing into dance and song. 

A pair of ear plugs.

One cannot sing along to music they cannot hear.

It wasn't an ideal solution, but as the age-old adage goes…

If it's stupid, but it works, it ain't stupid.

As she was pulling them out of her saddlebags, the green filly saw her.

Bon Bon nudged the filly. “Spring, we need to hurry, the-”

“Heya!” greeted them Pinkie Pie “Are you having a great day? I'm having a great day! An absolutely super duper day! I lost a game of hide and seek against ninjas again but otherwise it's a super duper great day!” 

The pink mare traveled through the overcrowded town square with, frankly, concerning ease. Somehow managing to avoid bumping into anyone despite moving like a kangaroo on crack.  

"Hello Pinkie, excited for the festival?” Bon Bon asked casually, but Anon could swear she saw her eye twitch just a little. 

“Am I excited for a party?” Pinkie questioned, hopping from place to place in a pink, gravity defying blur, her expression deeply thoughtful as she battled that philosophical dilemma. “Of course I am! And it's making me s-s-shake! Oh, wait, that's the pinkie sense.” 

Bon Bon paled, grabbing Spring in a split second as all color vanished from her face. “Twitchy twitch?”

“Nope!” Pinkie said cheerfully, totally ignoring Anon glaring at Bon Bon for grabbing her, and Bon Bon’s sheepish smile and whispered apology. “Tail spin, itchy hoof, ear sway. Oh! A party! Yes! A party is coming. I have to prepare my supplies!” 

Bon Bon, relieved now that the possibility of twitchy twitch was gone and with it the likelihood of anvils falling from the sky, pointed vaguely at the whole town fully decked out for the festival. “Well, there is a celebration in town.”

Pinkie shook her head. “No! Not this party. This party is super big and not a surprise at all. Tailspin, itchy hoof, ear sway is for a surprise party. Celebrations and national holidays are itchy hoof, ear sway and then tailspin. You know what that means? Somepony new is coming to Ponyville!”

Anon cleared her throat. “Not to rain on your parade, but aren't there literally hundreds of people arriving in droves?”

Pinkie waved her off. “Silly filly, I don't have a parade, that was canceled due to budgeting issues! And these ponies are here just for the celebration. Making friends is great, but so many new ponies living in Ponyville would crash the housing market! Again! Welcome Surprise Parties™ are for new permanent residents only."

Pinkie Pie stopped suddenly mid sentence, mouth open. “Oh, it's nearly twelve already? I have to be ready when Twilight arrives so I don’t break the show's continuity! Cheerios!

Anon blinked. There was a puff of dust in the shape of a pony where Pinkie stood just a moment ago. 

“Bon Bon,” the filly whispered 

“Yes?” 

“I think I'm scared of the Pink One.”

“Ah Spring.” Bon Bon said. “We are all scared of the Pink One.” 

The earth pony paused. "Wait, it's nearly twelve already? Lyra's rehearsal! I promised I’d be there!"

A beige hoof grabbed the jumper by the scruff of her neck, throwing Anon on Bon Bon's back. "Hold on tight, we’re going full speed!" 

"What-"

Anon wanted to say more, mostly in the spirit of "What the hell you are doing, I can walk normally now", but the words died in her throat, partially because she swallowed a fly, but mostly because Bon Bon started galloping through the crowd at breakneck speed and the filly was too busy holding on for her dear life, contemplating breaking her cover and teleporting into safety, likely sacrificing her chance to save the world from an evil goddess of darkness in the process. 

All in all, a normal day in Ponyville.


Lyra strummed her instrument, sweat dripping from her forehead

The town pavilion, a large building in the exact middle of Ponyville serving as both a community center and the town hall, was rarely ever quiet. Something that Mayor Mare, whose office sat above the main meeting room, would readily disclose to anypony looking like they were listening to her gripes. 

But this time, it wasn't an emergency meeting after the latest disaster, or a Pinkie Pie party shaking the very foundation of the building while Mayor Mare tried to complete her latest stack of paperwork, no. This time, there was music. 

Every musically inclined pony in town was assembled here, preparing for the celebration. Fluttershy might have had the most important part, Princess Celestia’s entrance number, but a bird choir could hardly carry the whole Summer Sun Celebration. 

When the last chord sounded, the final performance of the dress rehearsal reached its end. 

"Adequately done, ponies! Almost without flaw." Octavia 'praised' them in her typical Canterlot accent, the cellist's eyes narrowing when met with a few empty chairs. "Except for the no shows! Go home everypony and get some rest." 

The pavilion erupted into the chaos of many ponies leaving all at once, while Lyra gave a weary sigh. She loved playing her lyre, and she lived from the adoration of her audience, but playing several hours with barely a pause was exhausting. A sentiment shared by most ponies gathered for the rehearsal. 

“Hey Lyra!” said the exception to this rule in a happy, chirping soprano next to the unicorn. 

For a town its size, Ponyville had a surprisingly large number of professional musicians. Still, there was enough space needed to be filled by the more amateur performers. Summer Sun Celebrations were big… Well, celebrations. More a festival dedicated to the Princess and the summer than anything else. First was the all-night party. Traditionally, adult ponies would forgo sleep for that whole night to not miss Princess Celestia raise the sun. This was followed by yet another round of celebrating in the morning, this one more family fun focused. 

It was a lot of celebrating, is the point. 

And so there were some amateurs brought in to fill the spots. After all, what kind of celebration would it be without music? 

Ditzy Doo stretched her wings, trumpet in its case under her hooves. “I think we did great! Is she always this bossy?” 

Ditzy, Ponyville’s only post-mare. Many would be surprised to find her here, instrument in hoof. But the same talent that made her a great endurance flier also made her great at playing wind instruments, as the mare was seemingly never without breath. And while her hoof-to-eye coordination wasn't the best, what she lacked in fine motor skill, she more than made up for in sheer enthusiasm and her refusal to be discouraged by failure. 

“Who? Octavia? No, not normally,” Lyra replied. “But when her career is concerned? Then all bets are off.” 

Ditzy scratched her head. "Oh, I guess it's important for her?" 

Lyra's gaze hardened, her eyes speaking of countless hours spent practicing together with Octavia, of countless broken strings, late night practice and nervous breakdowns. “You have no idea.”

“O-okay?” Ditzy said. “I just wanted to ask how Spring is doing.”

Lyras ears dropped. “She is doing… fine.” 

“Uh huh,” the post-mare winced. “That bad?” 

Lyra grabbed her by her shoulders, shaking the poor mare. “I don't know what to do anymore! She still acts like there’s a hydra hidden around every corner. Not even Fluttershy is so uncomfortable around other ponies. Fluttershy!” 

A gentle wing patted the unicorn on the shoulder. “Shhh, it's alright.” 

“It isn't alright!” Lyra spat out. “Spring Break deserves better than this! Two weeks have gone by and she’s still walking on eggshells around us!" 

Anger bubbled deep in Lyra’s chest. Spring Break never complained, never asked for anything non-essential. She avoided being touched, and was crazy about food. Sometimes they would find her in the pantry, checking if it was stocked and urging them to go shopping the second it was even partially empty. 

And the scars, telling their own horrifying story. 

Somepony hurt Spring Break, not once. But again and again and again. The filly kept going, the filly survived. 

Spring Break lived and she would carry her scars, all of them.

It made Lyra’s blood boil. The mere thought of hurting a foal like that. To make a little filly so scared for where her next meal will come from, to make her think that she cannot be safe anywhere ever. To make her feel guilty when anypony shows even the most basic kindness to her. 

And she couldn't do anything to help her. 

"Spring is scared and on guard all the time. Heck, she doesn't even sleep in her bed! I even got her an enchanted cloud mattress, but she still sleeps on the floor!"

"A cloud mattress?" Ditzy said wistfully. "I tried to get one for Dinky. She always wanted to try, and she was so upset when she found out that unicorns can't walk on clouds! But they cost nearly as much as my house, so the only way I could get one is if a doctor wrote me a prescription. And I doubt they would prescribe a bed for bad eyesight."

Lyra wilted. "I just don't know what to do, Ditzy."

There was a pause for a few seconds, broken by the gray pegasus. 

“That does sound bad," admitted Ditzy, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "It's funny, y'know? I used to think exactly the same. Before.” 

Her lazy eye, trailing behind, was firmly locked onto the case of her instrument, covered in stickers. 

"That I'm not good enough. That she would be better somewhere else, with somepony else."

One of them read: To the best mom.

“You want to know a secret?" Ditzy smiled, a proud kind of smile of somepony who made the best with the cards they were dealt. A smile that would wait for you at home, to soothe your worries and give you a hearty meal. The smile on which the world is built when you are small and scared. "Nopony knows what they are doing when it comes to parenting. All those guides for new parents? Yeah, those are pretty on paper, but they won't help you much. You just have to go, and do stuff.” 

She laughed, memories flashing in her mind, each more precious than any treasure. 

“And yup, you will stumble. And fall, probably break a few bones too, but that's a part of it. Never stop being there for your little one. Let them know they always have a pony in their corner, backing them up. Even when you, or them, make a mistake." She paused. "No, especially when you make a mistake. And there will be a lot of mistakes. But you know what? That's okay. As long as we learn, we become a little better than we were yesterday. That's what matters."

Ditzy ended her speech, only now realizing that  Lyra stood in place, slack jawed. "Ditzy I…that's… wow,” Lyra managed to say.

The post-mare started to laugh nervously. " Heh, sorry. I didn't want to-”

"No no! Thank you! You helped a lot." 

Lyra smiled. Ditzy did help her, she gave her something she didn't have before.

Perspective. 

She wanted to help Spring - so what if she only had another week for it? She said to Ditzy she tried everything, but that wasn't true, was it? She only tried everything she had come up with so far. 

She just had to keep trying. 

"Really?" the pegasus asked, almost sounding surprised. 

“Yes! Thank you!” 

As if on cue, the doors burst open. In sprinted Bon Bon with Anon on her back, shaking and giving the earth pony mare her best stink-eye. Her mane was even wilder and messier than usual. “Was this necessary? My life flashed before my eyes. Twice! Where did you even learn to move like that?” 

The beige earth pony didn't pay any heed to the filly riding on her back, pushing onwards. “Special PE class, and shush! We’re late as it is.”

Bon Bon slowed down her pace, trotting into the already mostly vacated and silent pavilion. “Wait, where is everypony?”

"Bonnie! Here!" Lyra waved at them, hiding a tinge of pain spiking from her back. 

"I'm sorry Honey," Bon Bon sighed. "We must have gotten stuck in the crowd."

Lyra waved her off. "You’re on time, actually. The rehearsal ended early because a few performances were canceled at the last minute."

"Well, that's a shame," said Anon, both mares giving her a quizzical look. "What?"

"I thought you didn't like music?" Bon Bon asked.

Anon jumped off the mare’s back, landing with as much grace as a small horse can. "Eh, no? What gave you the impression that I don't like music?"

"Spring, you use earplugs every time there is music in town," deadpanned Bon Bon.

"T-that's different!" she retorted  

"How?" Bon Bon asked. 

"It's just is!" 

Lyra stepped between the two, ending the arguments. "Anyway, you want to go and get lunch?"

A loud rumble came from Anon's belly.

"I’ll take this as a yes," laughed Lyra. “Ditzy, you want to go with us?” 

The post-mare shook her head. “I have to pick up Dinky, but you three have a nice time!” 

“We will!” waved Lyra as the trio walked outside into the busy street, a pair of guards Anon recognized cleared traffic from a patch of road so a flying chariot could land. Steel Wind looked depressed as ever as he stepped aside, while Stalwart gave a salute to the landing guards, only for his exasperated colleague to nudge him with a wing until he put his hoof down. 

Out the chariot stepped a pony. A purple unicorn mare, with the cutie mark of a six-pointed star. 

And immediately collapsed on the cobblestone floor, muttering things unintelligible. It sounded something like ‘I hate PE’, but what it really was was anypony's guess. 

A baby dragon hopped out after her, waving at the royal guards. "Thanks for the ride, guys!"

Sweetie Drops held her breath.

Twilight Sparkle and Spike were in Ponyville.

Operation Harmony had officially began.