“Dear Lyra Heartstrings,” Lyra mumbled as she read her letter, “I am well aware of the proof in your theories and would greatly love to hear about your recent work into the ‘upright race’ currently being defined as humans. I am sorry that you were expelled from my school as I recall you were quite the scholar in your own right.”
“Lyra,” called Bonbon from the couch, “who are you talking to?”
“I look forward to speaking with you on the date you’ve suggested,” the lyricist replied, her voice practically bleeding with anticipation. “Sincerely, Princess Celestia,” she peered around the letter and grinned. “Bonbon, I’m gonna meet Princess Celestia and sort all of this human stuff out once and for all!”
“Lyra, I know you were expelled and everything but do you really expect the Princess herself to meet with you after… how long was it again?”
“Three years, four months, and twenty days,” Lyra recited. “I remember full well when I was told to get out of school and started to fend for myself.”
“Yes, and you can barely do that! What makes you think you can just trot up to Canterlot so close to Hearth’s Warming Eve and just talk with Princess Celestia?”
“Approval for an appointment by the Princess herself, is something wrong with that?”
“Well yeah, I mean shouldn’t Princess Celestia be preparing for the pageant or something?”
“Bonbon, there’s no reason to think she wouldn’t want to talk now that word on the street is humans are real.”
*****
A week later Lyra was pacing in her compartment. She had accumulated a lot of material thanks to Alex and she was ready to get some approval of her work from the princess herself.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she said to her reflection in the window. “Princess Celestia has seen I was right and she’ll welcome all of my hard work despite what happened. I can’t just laugh and throw it in her face though; I mean I should play it rather calm.”
She carefully laid her plan out, despite the occasional bump from the train causing her train of thought to drift. It was simple really, talk to Princess Celestia about her findings and ask her about the legal issues regarding magical transformation.
As I recall, nopony is allowed to change their species anymore, she thought. It had been a common thought since Alex had said it. Lyra was far from dumb; she was quite learned and did her best to keep up on laws since she was kicked out of school.
*****
Normally, Princess Celestia would spend most of the morning listening to delegate after delegate drone on about their problems. Recently she had been meeting with representatives for the Hearth’s Warming festivities going on around Canterlot. Today however, she was anxiously waiting for her visitor from Ponyville. She had anticipated meeting the unicorn herself, a thought she believed that they had in common.
“Your highness,” whispered a sheepish earth pony, “your midday visitor’s train has just arrived.”
Princess Celestia nodded. “I would like to take a brief recess for now. Gather your thoughts, your ideas, and be ready to hand me a physical copy of your motion.” She smiled at a nervous griffon who was now trying to get several papers together.
“Don’t worry Princess Celestia,” the griffon replied. “I’ll have the details hammered out for the pageant later this afternoon.”
“Please direct Miss Heartstrings to my chambers when she arrives. I would greatly enjoy to discuss things privately.”
“I’ll send word to the guards,” the earth pony replied.