*BOOM*
ACK!
I screamed in pain as I get unceremoniously launched out of the window and, in my perspective, flew into the air as my lovely home for many years got blown up into smithereens by an item I wished I shouldn't have given to an unstable partner... that she held on to when we had that fight a few seconds ago.
GAH!
Welp, I messed up big time.
My marefriend got me killed... by aggressively flinging an ingredient that was going to use on my own research. My whole life's work blew up in my face... and my entire body.
Speaking of blowing up in my face, I can see the violent explosion of electricity and booming thunder ruining my entire living room. Haaa, there goes two hundred bits worth of furniture and priceless memorabilia. Just my-
GAH! ACK!
I can feel my body growing numb by the millisecond yet I can still feel the burns and shocks coursing through my veins and nerves. The sensation of my fur, flesh, and muscles tearing apart is not a pleasant feeling, that's for sure. Is this what it feels like to be directly struck by lightning without magic protection?
If so, it is incredibly painful.
As my mind slow down my perception of time even further, I started to contemplate what circumstances caused this to happen.
Let's see...
I thought I hit the jackpot when Twilight gave me that life-changing proposition at my store today.
But when I told Bon Bon, my now ex-mare friend, traitor, and murderer, about the good news... and also about selling my store to Twilight for a meagre sum... and also told her that we should take a break from our relationship...
Yeah, I'm not really showing myself in a great colour here.
Well, whatever.
All I know is...
I have no reason to live in this world anymore.
...
Oh, I can feel my back hit the grou-OOF!
A Week after Twilight came back from her trip to the Human World
A Few Hours before the BOOM
It was a few hours ago.
Morning everypony!
It is going to be another wonderfully mundane day in Ponyville.
The sun is shining, and the birds were-
Yeah, buck this.
Let's skip to the boring description of my boring morning, Brain. I only have a few seconds of consciousness for memory recollection. That's like a few hours in here-
Wait, where was I- oh right...
Okay, here's me in bed with a messy bed mane, Celestia's sunlight blinding my vision, a grossed-out expression after taking a whiff of bad morning breath and a parched throat. I really should have grabbed a glass of water before going to bed. I am currently cuddling my marefriend in an innocently non-sensual manner, I swear.
Wow, no matter how many times I thought about this, I'm still in awe that what's beside me is real. This most beautiful mare sleeping beside me is my marefriend. I will always marvel at her long, swirly cobalt blue mane & tail with light Fuschia stripes that make me think of her sweet hoof-made candies. Her smooth light grey fur coat feels like what I presume the clouds that Pegasi sleep on feel like. And the piece of resistance was her eyes, those sweet and mesmerizing arctic blue eyes that bind me to her control like the mythical Sirens-
Okay, hold on... Yeah yeah, I'm having very conflicting feelings here. That's enough daily yakking and gawking about my ex's appearance for today.
My marefriend had a busy time and came home exhausted yesterday, so I decided to prepare breakfast for her.
So, I got out of bed first and headed towards the bathroom. I looked in the mirror.
Ugh! I still remembered looking incredibly awful this morning.
I don't even want to bother describing it-
ACK! Okay, now I'm more scared. I can feel my brain having an aneurysm.
Okay, I get it. No more present-time comments.
I'm just gonna play out today's memory before I kill myself from thinking too much.
After that short ordeal with fixing my sloppy bed mane, it's time for breakfast. Today will be oatmeal with low-fat milk and sliced apples for a quick kick of energy boost. Orange juice and coffee complement the meal.
Oh? I hear Bon Bon coming down. I magically set up the table as soon as my Sweetie sat down.
"Morning" I sweetly greet my dear mare.
"Yeah. Morn." Bon Bon muttered. Looks like yesterday was incredibly tiring for her. Who would have known that six or so wagons filled with Apple family relatives could empty her whole candy supply? Earth Pony family reunions are no joke when it comes to numbers.
But enough exposition in the mind. Gotta focus on my sleepy baby.
"Are you sure you want to go to work today?" I asked as I pour hot coffee on her mug. Black with no sugar or cream. Even after all these years, it is still strange for a pony, who owns a Candy emporium, to not want any sweets on her drinks.
"Well, I have to." She grumbled while she sipped on her coffee. "I have to finish making all the candy before the afternoon. Applejack's going to help me since she felt bad that her relatives took all of the candy, even though I just earned six months' worth of profit in one day and get rid of some excess candies. But I'm not going to refuse free help."
"Is the candy for the relatives again?" I said as I eat my apple slices.
"Nope. Just Pinkie's daily party candy re-supply. Applejack's family had to leave last night since it was their last day and they had to leave as soon as possible. I was just lucky she didn't need me that day or I would have a conundrum between opportunity and friendship."
That last sentence sounds ominous and came out of nowhere...
But that must be nothing.
Silly Lyra. You can't just go around thinking that every menacing-sounding sentence will lead to anything bad as if my life is a novel or stageplay.
I'm not that interesting of a character.
Twilight and her best friends are usually the ones who are in the middle of drama, comedy, and monster invasion in Ponyville... hay, the entire Equestria region every week. Applejack and Pinkie might have the stamina and endurance to do those physically exhausting ordeals but how can the rest of those mares have the energy to go through those ordeals?
Just being in the background of their shenanigans was already tiring enough.
But there is one crazy event that I just wished I was there for. That time when Twilight went to the Human World for the first time. I can't believe she just told me after her return to her first visit and didn't offer me a chance to go and visit the Humans, especially since I'm an expert in all things Human.
I can still remember that stupid excuse.
"Lyra, you can't visit that World. The portal in the Crystal Mirror only emerges once every thirty full moons and stays open for a total of three days. I can't just leave you stranded in an alien world when we have no stable means to return to Equestria, the portal might cease to function, and you have no permanent residency for you to inhabit without raising any suspicion from that world's government and your marefriend is here. She might not be able to adapt to that World as you would if she came along."
Although the first few reasons were agreeable and made sense, I can't believe she used Bon Bon as a reason to not let me enter the Human World. My Sweetie would totally understand that I really need to go there, no matter what. I just don't get why she doesn't want to come along with me.
I think I can handle the permanent residency situation. Our Bits are made of pure gold and can be exchanged for a lot of currency or so I read in those old Human books that mysteriously appeared on Twilight's bookshelves. I've saved up to three thou-
"Ummm, Lyra?" Bon Bon's voice awakened me from my trance. It looks like she already finished her meal.
Huh?
"What is it? You need a refill?" I asked, levitating the coffee pot.
"No... well, actually yes but also, you have eaten all of your oatmeal yet you're still shovelling on your empty bowl." Bon Bon explained. I looked down and yup, sure enough. I've got to stop doing my soliloquy while I eat. "Is something on your mind? Are thinking about the Human World again?"
"It's just so unfair," I exclaimed while I levitated all the empty dishes to the sink and refill her mug. "Twilight just discovered a way to enter the Human World but she refuses to let me visit for even one day."
"Here, let me wash them." She offered as she approached the sink. She sighed that sounds all too familiar. Oh great, here we go again. "You know how dangerous to go there and that the portal, or whatever it is, will only open thirty full moons, even then we're not certain if the portal will stay open for three days."
Ugh, this again.
She continued. "Maybe it will close right after you enter that foreign world. You shouldn't risk your life on a magical artefact that even the Princesses had forgotten its existence until recently... when a rogue unicorn stole Twilight's crown and almost jeopardised our and that world for her selfish desires."
I wiped the dining table. "Hey, Twilight defeated her and she is currently on the path of redemption and friendship... or so I heard. The Princess of Friendship told me that she is currently participating in a special competition for her school called the Friendship Games."
Jeez, ever since Twilight earned the title, the Princess of Friendship, everypony has been saying the word friendship in conversations a lot more than a regular creature should say in their entire lifetime.
"Besides, I can handle myself for I've trained myself on how to avoid danger for years," I informed my concerned marefriend of my determined feat for the hundredth time. "Living in Ponyville is an ordeal on its own, what with the weekly invasion of Monsters from the Everfree Forest and those bizarre big events that usually happen in the Summer season. I'm pretty I can overcome anything that the Human World will throw at me."
"Well, aren't you a brave little pony?" Bon Bon rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Well, for now, you should overcome the difficulties of your daily life in Equestria by actually opening your store on time and going to work."
Oh great, she's reminding me that I actually work for a living.
I sighed as I dread working as an instrument "shop owner", I mean it's been a month since a pony has even visited the shop to buy something and that was just Octavia purchasing a new cello after her "argument" with her roommate, Vinyl Scratch. I don't know how they could argue when one of them is a literal mute and especially don't know how it resulted in Vinyl receiving a Cello Smash to the head.
"Do I have to?" I whined at her like a spoiled foal. Great job, genius, telling myself sarcastically. Can't go for the sophisticated way.
"Well, we have to find some way to pay the bills AND your research." She lectured me as usual. "A job is the most reasonable solution for all of them."
I don't know what she's talking about. She's the one who pays the bills while I fund my research and development with the little bits I can earn.
I don't deserve her.
Right now, I'm making my own portal gate or any form of transportation to the human world with my knowledge of magic and... my body is just shuddering from that word... ugh, Math. Twilight was kind enough to lend me books on advanced magic theories, written by the great Star Swirl the Bearded, the only unicorn who has ever made a working portal to another alternative world. My current project is replicating the mirror portal that is similar to Twilight's, in theory as I have never actually seen how the mirror works.
That jerk won't even let me take a peek at how it works, let alone enter it.
Welp, enough bellyaching and time for the daily grind, I guess. I grabbed my saddlebags and head out to my store.
"See ya, tonight."
"Bye, Lyra."
And with a neutral farewell, I'm out the door of my lovely sanctuary that I call home and into the mundane outside world where I realise life can be unfair for a background pony like me.
At least there isn't a single dark cloud today.
As I slowly trot down the path of the food produce district, I glanced at the food stalls getting ready to open by prepping their shelves and cooking their speciality. Fresh fruits and vegetables lined up so neatly on the table racks. The wafting delicious grainy scent of bread and other baked goods from the local bakery won't stop flowing into my nose.
I bit my lower lip to stop my hunger. I know I just ate but I really want to grab something for lunch later... But I can't because I'm saving every bit I can. I can barely afford to keep my store open and the instruments well-maintained.
We wouldn't be in such a tough spot if somepony didn't spread awful rumours about my Human obsession and how I'm mooching off on my marefriend. I mean, I wasn't subtle about my interest and I would never do that to Bon Bon but I expected a large percentage of ponies in Ponyville to actually believe the slanders and give such a hostile response to it.
"Oh great, the Hooman expert is here."
"She really needs to get her head in straight. Does she not know that they are called monkeys, not Hoomans?"
"She thinks monkeys are unique creatures that can't be found in Equestria. There's a place called a zoo. Maybe she should see those monkeys and get over that obsession."
Haa, speaking of hostile response, I'm getting my daily mocking behind my back by one of the random background ponies that never bother to learn their name and glad I never did.
When I first received these jeers, I would look at them with a death glare which only made them laugh in my face... and get spit on. So I just let them speak their mean things at me. It doesn't bother me. I've had years of experience from-
Ugh! Don't think about that. Just focus on your walk to work, Lyra. Just be grateful that you still have some friends left who are okay at best in my interest in Humans. Twilight knows they existed since she visited their world and even had photos of her and her friend's counterparts in human form.
Just focus on your research and I will soon reap the fruits of my hard labor.
I looked at the display window of the local electronics store. I see some neat speakers and radios that I could never afford for a gift to my marefriend, as if I need any of those electricity-gobbling devices increasing our already high electricity bill.
Oh, right. I have to grab more bottles of lightning potions. Even if that stuff is volatile as an angry dragon covered in dynamite. I know it is extremely dangerous but I need more natural magic electricity if I'm going to ever make my own portal to the human world... and also, decrease the electricity bill or Bon Bon might have a fit. I even invented a special magic power generator to contain the uncontrollable energy of those potions and convert it into safe electricity.
I think I have one bottle at my store. Thank goodness, I remembered that one.
Oh, speak of remembering. I also recently bought a new journal, that is customised with my own cutie mark on the front cover and fur colour, just to keep notes on my findings. I keep forgetting my old ideas and findings but thankfully, Bon Bon suggested the journal to keep them in writing if don't want to lose them.
I heard Twilight has a special journal that is linked to another journal, the one some mare named Sunshine Glitter possesses in the Human world. A magical artefact that helps you communicate between worlds. I wish I could have that specific journal but I don't have anypony... I mean, anyone in the Human World I want to talk to.
Well, there is one Human but I'm not sure if she remembers me. Maybe if I go to that world, she might remember me and who knows, maybe we can be multi-dimensional pen pals.
Welp, that's enough serious thinking for now. While having an uneventful trotting my way to-
"Well, well, look *hic* who we have *hic* here."
Huh? Who interrupted my inner monologue? I turned around to the source of that familiar and incredibly annoying voice.
Ugh, the local town drunk is out in the morning and leaning on her tavern's saloon doors with a bottle on her hoof.
"Are you seriously getting drunk this early in the morning, Berry Punch?" I said with as much ridicule I can put in my tone as possible. I hate this mare.
Berry freakin' Punch, Ponyville's infamous and irresponsible local drunkard, tavern owner and awful single mother to a cute little filly that she doesn't deserve. I can't believe somepony allowed her to open a tavern, keep her daughter Ruby Pinch, and worse of all, be my next-door neighbour.
"Can't you stop drinking for at least a day and focus on something more productive?"
"Oh, buck right off, you crazy *hic* freak." She slurred as she slowly approached me, stumbling her steps and swinging one of her bottles with little care or caution around her surroundings. Can't she speak properly? Every sentence she had to hiccup. "I'm a free *hic* pony. I can do whatever *hic* buck I want. I pay taxes."
We've had this same freakin' argument every time we encounter. Always with the taxes. What does she even mean by that?
"As if paying taxes doesn't make you less of a screw-up." I retorted. "I'm pretty sure most of the taxes you pay come from every time you pick up the bottle-"
Brrr...
I felt a cold feeling around me. I inspected my surroundings and yup... everypony is giving me an apathetic gaze. Their stares were reserved for me, not for the local drunk who truly deserves it. How did my social status stoop lower than this local town drunkard? I thought I left that stigma behind Canterlot.
Oh, buck this. I gritted my teeth, stopped talking, looked away from Berry Punch and resumed my walk to work.
"Pfft!" That jerk Berry chortled. "Yeah, just keep *hic* trotting, you freak. Maybe you'll find those ridic-*hic*-lous Hoomans you love so much if *hic* run away enough."
I could hear a few muffled chortles from the crowd.
Grrr, I hate her so much. I want to stomp this lousy mare into tomato paste.
I'm pretty sure she's the one who spread those slanderous rumours of my Human obsession, even though I would never talk to degenerate ponies like her. Must have eavesdropped near my house. I just don't have any physical proof to justify my inner dark desire for violence.
I should give that mare a piece of my mind but calm down Lyra. I've already lost another small piece of my dignity by bothering to talk to that drunken mess and attracting the attention of those faceless crowd.
I don't want to bring more shame towards Bon Bon.
...
Did the route to my shop get longer or something? Or have I reached the level of shame where the universe slowed down time because it felt sadistic to my failed attempt at giving that drunk mare a good reality check comeback and wanted me to wallow in the disappointed and disgusted stares from my pony brethren?
...
I hate being a pony in this stupid pony world.
Before the slander happened, I accepted my fate that I'll live in this world for the rest of my life, as long as I have Bon Bon by my side to keep me sane and not filled with hatred towards this world.
But now, I just want to run away from everything.
Magic.
So-called friends who ignore me in public.
Even Bon Bon.
No no, you don't mean that last one, Lyra. You love her. LOVE. HER.
While I slowly walked, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and reopened my eyes.
I looked straight ahead... okay, I can finally see my store-Huh?
What the-?
Is that Twilight near my store's front door?
Can't be anypony else.
She has pegasi wings, a longhorn and a magical aura that sounds like a harmonious sympathy. I'm pretty sure there is only one purple alicorn in this plane of existence unless Discord is pulling a fast one on me for some goofy non-reason or those foul Changelings are planning to take over Equestria by secretly kidnapping store owners and planting their- yeah, that last thought sounds too farfetched to finish.
From what I recall, there has only been one short alicorn in the entire world unless Princess Celestia or Princess Luna or Princess Cadence had a shrinking spell mishap and made a surprise visit to my store, even though we are not well-acquainted.
Hmmm. It looks like she's been waiting there for a while.
Why's she here? Everypony knows fully well that she is super musically inept and forbidden to be near anything related to an instrument after Pinkie's Musical Instrument Chairs Party incident a month ago. I still have some hearing loss from that disaster.
Amazing singer but an incredibly awful musical instrument performer.
"Oh heeey, Twilight. What are doing here?" I said with a forced grin on my face. "You know you are banned from purchasing an instrument for exactly a year. You'll have to get Mayor Mare's and one of the Princesses' seals of approval if you plan on delivering an instrument to your friends as a gift."
I pulled out my keys out of my saddlebags to signal the mare that I want to enter my store immediately. She stepped aside so I can unlock the door.
I guess she's coming in with me.
"Oh, I am aware. I will never directly look at any instrument for the rest of my life." The Princess of Friendship agreed, rolling her eyes. " But I am here as I just got back from my last adventure... from the Human World and I want to have a private discussion with you about it."
Oh, here we go. Bragging about your adventures in the Human world right away. Didn't even have the chance for me to offer tea or coffee first? Instead, she gave me the salt.
"I had to do some personal inspections and damage control after Canterlot High was struck by another magic-related disaster. Unfortunately, my Human World counterpart was the main culprit. I can't believe she was forced to release concentrated unknown magic for a simple school competition. What was the actual plan for that? It's supposed to be a friendly competition. It's called the Friendship Games, for Celestia's sake! I'm proud of my counterpart for creating a device to detect magic that had an unintentional function to absorb it but I can't..."
Oh good grief, she's rambling again. I guess she is still the same nosy brainiac mare even after becoming a Princess.
"Ahem!" I indiscreetly coughed to return her sense. "As much as I would love to hear your adventures from the Human World, where is this conversation going exactly?" I said through gritted teeth.
Try to hide your anger and jealousy, Lyra. She must want to tell me since she knows that I'm a Human fanatic and not because she wants to taunt me.
"Oh, right. Ahem."She said. "After having a serious discussion with Sunset Shimmer on the current situation of the Human World and I created a stable pathway to travel that world freely, I just thought that maybe... if you will assist me in a little project?"
"Is it a friendship-related project?" I asked.
"Well, sort of." She said in a vague tone.
Oh dear Luna, have I been selected for one of her crazy friendship experiments?
I backed away slowly and looked at the crazy mare with an anxious look. "Are you going to use a new spell to Hypno-"
"NO!" She exclaimed. Her bulging eyes looked like they will pop out of her eye sockets. "I just need your help with a big problem that only you can handle. I need you to go to the Human World and help the Humans."
...
...
...
Wa-What?
My brain went blank just now.
"E-e-excuse me?" I asked as I need to reassure myself that I didn't go deaf from that news. Those two words were the only ones I could speak clearly before I felt a large lump choking my throat. My heart feels like it is going to burst out and attack Twilight any moment if she showed any signs that she is joking about that news.
This has to be a prank. This has got to be, right?
I swallowed the lump in my throat and started to speak clearly. "This has to be a foalish prank, isn't it?"
Twilight looked at me in disbelief and shook her head. "I would never do such as thing. You know it's not in my nature."
I squinted my eyes. "... Discord?"
"No, I'm Twilight." Oh, I can hear the frustration in her voice, which would mean...
I carefully levitated my broom from the back of my store counter. "Then are you a Changeling disguised as Twilight aiming to steal my store and replace me with another Changeling to prepare for a mass sneak attack on Equestria?"
"What? No! Lyra, take this seriously." She magically grabbed my broom and toss it to the side. Oh good, none of my instruments got hit.
I gave the purple mare an angry scowl. "Why should I? This just came out of nowhere."
Twilight took a deep breath and magically closed my store's windows, leaving a tiny sliver of opening for the morning sunlight to enter. The light perfectly shined behind her as if the Celestial Deities from the Great Beyond have sent her to send me a divine message that will change my fate for the best.
"If you still think that I'm not serious then-"
She then proceeded to bow her head towards me with a serious and regal expression that I've only ever seen from Princesses.
This is the first time that I'm perceiving this old foalhood friend of mine who would shove her head straight into the books instead of playing with her friends as an actual Princess with great authority and dignity.
Why would somepony of royalty bow to a commoner like me? I'm getting a little scared.
"Lyra Heartstrings of Equestria, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, humbly and formally request thee for assistance in the investigation and prevention of the magical phenomena and, as well as, obtaining magical artefacts that are mysteriously appearing in the Human World."
Okay. my metaphorical heart attack is becoming a literal one.
Why? Why now? I just woke up. This is just so sudden.
"After begging beneath your hooves to let me enter your portal for months, you finally conceded to my request. Why? Why now of all times?" I asked, not in an angry tone but in a confused and scared tone.
I should be angry and humiliated when I said begging but I don't want to screw up this chance. I will toss away whatever remains of my pride if it meant I get the opportunity to enter the Human World. And to top it all off, I might get an official job from an actual Princess is just the bonus, which reaffirms my resolve by a million times.
She opened her mouth and said.
"Because the Human World needs your help."