//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 — Arrival // Story: Modulation // by ProBrony //------------------------------// — Chapter 4 : Arrival — “Twilight!” Her eyes snapped open. “Bon Bon...” As the images of a terrified Bon Bon and a red-faced Twilight began to fade rapidly, she shuddered. "What a horrible dream." As she slumbered, she had dreamt of a red-faced Twilight standing over Bon Bon. She watched helplessly as the mare begged to be left alone, all the while some unseen figure kept laughing in a deep tone. It wasn't long before it had faded away to only a picture in her mind. She tried her best to remember what else happened in the dream, but all could recall now were faces. Even those were fading. “How unfortunate.” Her hoof fumbled in the dark, and she flipped a switch. The compartment instantly lit up, but she was more interested in outside. She could tell it was night; all she could see was her reflection looking back at her through the darkness. Her pale, greyish mint mane was more tussled than usual, to the point where it hid her horn. A quick hoof-through, and it was back to its usual messy-but-neat style. Her aquamarine-green coat wasn't groomed how she liked it, but it would have to do for the time being. The compartment was a small one, but being the lone occupant allowed her to have all her belongings laid out on the seat across from her. They wasn't much; all she had was her saddlebags and an instrument case. The bags didn't carry much, just her bits, and a few articles of clothing so she wouldn't feel completely naked in Canterlotian society. The instrument case, however, contained her pride and joy: her lyre. She looked at it fondly. In actuality, she probably could have brought only that. It was her favorite object in all of Equestria. It was even her cutie mark. After a while, she turned back to the window. She tried to look past her reflection, cupping her hooves against the glass, but it was too hard to see anything. Reaching over, she flicked the lights back off and took another look. The dark world was speeding past the train as it clacked down the track. While the trip between Ponyville and Canterlot was over half a day, there wasn't much of anything between it. Occasionally she’d spot a couple lights in the distance, and she wondered if they were hermit huts or stage wagons stopped for the night. She secretly hoped the latter, as she loved that feeling of freedom. That feeling was why she left Canterlot, why she particularly picked Ponyville, and why her heart sank as she neared the capital. After a few minutes sitting in the dark, her mind started drifting back to that dream. She shuddered; it was time to find something to do. The compartment door slid easily enough, and the unicorn stepped out into the car. The car’s walkway was predictably empty for the time of night. Electing to head for the dining car, she headed left, towards the front of the train. As she walked, she tried to sneak glances into the compartments she passed, but almost all of them were dark and those with the lights on, had their blinds shut. As she made her way, she feared she was going to be the only one awake in the car. Just as she was feeling nervously alone, she opened the door to the dining car door. Looking around, she spotted a particular cherry-colored pony sitting by her lonesome. “Bwah? Ms. Cheerilee?” The pony was sitting at a table in the corner. Cheerliee looked up and, despite the pen in her mouth, gave a smile worthy of her namesake. She quickly trotted over to the school teacher. “Wow, I’m surprised to see you here, especially since school’s started,” she said. She eyed the table; it was covered in a few papers, an inkwell, and a single candle. “Wait, you already have papers to grade and you’re making a trip to Canterlot?” Cheerilee set the pen back in the inkwell. “Hello Lyra Heartstrings, funny meeting you here. Fortunately, school actually starts after next week. These are merely lesson plans.” “Oh.” Lyra nudged out the chair facing Cheerilee. “Getting a head start, I see.” “Ha, actually I’m behind the curve,” Cheerilee said bashfully. “How unbecoming of a teacher. I’ll finish in time, however. Lyra sat down heavily, getting comfy. She sat on her rump, her back vertical and her hind legs hanging over the edge. “Heh, that’s understandable. It’s been so nice out, I bet even you can’t resist these nice summer days we’ve been having. Well, what’s taking you to Canterlot? Cheerilee's faced looked askance at Lyra's posture, but the years of minding awkward fillies meant she didn't mention it. “As for Canterlot, a week ago I went to Twilight’s library to pick up some books I’d like to do a lesson on. I’ve noticed some bully-esque behavior from my students last year, and this year I wanted to start with a lesson focused on improving the relationships between my students. Imagine my surprise when she didn’t have any books on the subject!” Lyra grinned. “Oh, knowing Twilight, it would never cross her mind to have those kinds of books on hand.” Cheerilee stifled a chuckle. “She didn’t have anything I needed. However, she offered to make an order to Canterlot’s library. Twilight said that while she has Spike to send personal correspondence, she still has to play by the rules when she checks out from the Canterlot Library, or at least she chooses to.” Cheerilee paused to wonder how much of what that eccentric mare does is from following rules, and how much is from some crazy form of personal control issues. After a beat, she waved her hoof. “Anyways, she told me she’d have to send an official letter of request and wait for a response, but seeing as I had this free weekend open I decided to simply hand deliver the letter and pick the books out in person. Maybe I’ll enjoy the capital while I have time to.” Lyra nodded in approval. “I like your thinking, it sounds like a plan. How long are you going to stay?” “Almost the whole week. It’ll be Sunday when we arrive, right? I should be back in my home Thursday evening.” “That sounds great. Hopefully I’ll run into you,” Lyra said. “Yeah, hopefully. What are you heading to Canterlot for, and where’s your friend, the candy maker—” “Canterlot, yeah,” Lyra quickly interrupted. “I have to go take care of some business.” “Ah,” Cheerilee paused, and looked at Lyra who was practically fidgeting. Slowly, she asked, “...How long will you be staying?” Lyra let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Oh, ‘till I finish what I start. I can’t say. Hopefully shorter than longer.” “Hmm,” was all Cheerilee had to add to that. "Sorry for the curt responses. I know it's not fair that you told me why and I'm not, but I'm going to Canterlot for business, not pleasure, and it's the kind of business I dislike." As quickly as she sat, Lyra rose. “Hey, I’ll see you around, alright? I’m tired; I’m going to go back to my compartment and catch a few more winks. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow.” Cheerilee raised an eyebrow, but didn't press the issue. She was used to her students skimping out on personal issues with her, and while Lyra was an independent pony, she was still a young mare. “Alright Ms. Heartstrings, goodnight. I hope I'll see you around.” Opening the door, Lyra said back, “Sorry I have to go all suddenly, but I’ll seeya in Canterlot!” Lyra made her exit, leaving Cheerilee to wonder. What in the hay was up with that pony... Cheerilee looked down to her work and sighed. ...and how much longer till I get to catch winks too? *** It was a combination of the change in altitude and the strobe of Celestia's sun that woke Lyra. She only had to feel it on her face twice to know they were making the ascent up Canterlot's mountain base and passing in and out of the tunnels that lined the slopes. Looking out, she could see all of Equestria in between the periods of darkness as the train spiraled up the mountain. As the train rose, she could see Ponyville, followed by Everfree, the Rambling Rock Ridge, and Foal Mountain, all probably a day’s worth of travel by train. Getting around the north side of the mountain, there were no landmarks, just land as far as Lyra’s eyes could see. She knew Neighagra Falls was out there, and that Cloudsdale was floating around to the northwest somewhere. Lyra relished the sights; the ascension was the best part of the whole ride. Her ears were starting to pop. As the train neared the top, it approached a split in the rails. While the right one continued up into the city, the train went left and entered a tunnel as it neared its destination; the underbelly of Canterlot. Canterlot had always been a relic of the past, being in existence for a little over a thousand years. When modern inventions called for improvements on infrastructure, it was almost impossible to expand on a city that simply had no room to grow in land area. Ponies either built up or down, and some brilliant minds decided that, in order to keep up with the times, most trains were to arrive under the city. There was one small station above ground, usually reserved for special guests to the palace or smaller trains. All heavy traffic went below. Once inside the tunnel, Lyra sat in the dark as she watched the lights pass her window. Her expression changed from the wonder she always had while ascending the mountain, to a sullen one. She sighed. She was really back in Canterlot again. She thought it would be years before she made this trip. Funny how life turns out. The lights passed more and more infrequently, until at long last, the walls opened up and revealed the underground station. "Ha, underground at thousands of feet above sea level," Lyra chuckled. The train made one final lurch, and she had arrived. Central Equestrain Station, more informally known as the the Grand Stable, was as grand as it always had been. Most of Equestria's stations were either open-air or huge complexes. Canterlot engineers, not wanting to be shown up, had given the subterranean station the feeling of both. Everything was huge. More than a few trains could fit inside the station with room to spare, and the ceilings were impossibly tall, leaving Lyra to wonder if they were enchanted. Pegasi used the ample room to fly through the air, delivering messages amongst the trains and the ticket booths to keep everyone on their tight schedules. Most of the business in the underground were entire buildings, some with even a second story. They were laid on about a dozen moderately-sized streets that surrounded the main platforms. Tossing on her saddlebags and securing her instrument case to her back, Lyra stepped out of her compartment and into the main passageway. She saw a few familiar faces from Ponyville as they filed out the railcar, but most of the occupants were ponies from Appleloosa and Las Pegasus who had been riding much longer than she had. Everyone was groggy and shuffling, unaccustomed to such long journeys via trains. The ride had left Lyra’s energy unaffected, being used to traveling. Slowly, she got in the line of the slow march to the doors. As soon as Lyra stepped off the train and onto the platform, she was greeted with a wave of nostalgia. She had arrived on the exact same platform she had used when she snuck away from her old life. The smells from the vendors filled her nose with hayfries and fresh salads, and the roar of ponies filled her ears with a pleasant hum. Despite how old her memories were, she still could remember when she and her parents used to go on vacations. However, as spectacular as it was, it was nothing new. Soon, Lyra found herself on her way, heading to the grand staircase to the second overlooking tier of the station. Reaching the stairs, she took them two at a time to reach the top, just like she did when she was a filly. She made her way to a balcony overlooking the loading and unloading section, and paused to pony watch for a bit. Tons of ponies were filing in and out, waiting for luggage with screaming foals tugging at their tails. She was so glad she could pack light for this journey, as even though the Grand Stable was the largest station in all of Equestria, it was only a little bit more efficient than the next, and that wasn’t very much. After soaking in the sights a little more, Lyra headed for the exit. Lots of ponies were milling about here waiting for their carriages, loved ones, or their next train on their journey. Some were rummaging through the gift shops, and a few with plenty of time to spare were eating on the second story balcony of a restaurant she passed. She rounded a corner, and at the end of the road lay the final set of stairs, just as she remembered. Swimming to through the ponies coming and going, she ascended the steps. Stepping through the gates, she was blinded by the sun. As her vision adjusted, she found that Canterlot was just as grand as she remembered. The entrance to the station lead her into Caelum Square in the business district. She looked around, and took in the sights. Many shops lined each and every side of the street. Some of the best earth pony architecture in all of Equestria resided in the business district of Canterlot, and it was evident on the face of each building. Everything looked sturdy. Lyra smiled; the style reminded her of her Ponyville. The buildings there was timber-framed, but here the frames existed as a complement to the stone that most of the businesses were constructed of. Reveling in the nostalgia, Lyra looked up and gasped. There was a beautiful bold rainbow directly overhead, with peculiarly vivid colors. It arced from the east, and passed directly over Canterlot castle. For a second, it made her forget why she was back in Canterlot, and the strange dream she had. Lyra was convinced it a sign of good luck, inwardly smiled, and continued her journey. Maybe returning home wouldn't be so bad. Ponies were bustling everywhere, or at least what felt like everywhere. Lyra's short time in Ponyville had gotten her used to a thinner crowd. However, all around her vision was filled with ponies of all colors going about their day, trying to make bits to feed their families or pursue their dreams. Glancing at a clock that was displayed on a nearby bank, she noted that it was shortly after noon. She realized she was in the middle of a lunch rush in the busiest district in Canterlot. She was bumped into plenty of times, but just like the other locals, she didn't mind at all. Again, that warm feeling of the past came back. Her destination was in the residential district on the east side of town, so she made her way to the nearest carriage stop and raised a hoof to flag one down. After a time, one rolled up. "Where are you heading little lady?" asked the cheerful driver. Lyra peaked inside. The cabbie looked friendly enough, and (thankfully) the cab clean enough. His cutie mark was, what Lyra guessed, a road. "I'm looking to go to the residential district. My address is—” Lyra paused. Looking through the window across the street, she saw a post office. Her jaw tightened. "Hey, sorry about this. I have something I need to do. If you could wait for me, I'd appreciate it, but I'll understand if you don't. Thanks anyway," she added with a pleasant smile. Closing the door on the confused cabbie's face, she made her way across the street. As she walked, sighed and dreaded what she was about to do. She glanced up to look for her good sign. Strangely, it was already gone. Lyra kept walking. Stepping inside, Lyra almost immediately regretted the decision. The patron part of the post office was nice, with a stamp and envelope dispenser near the counter, a couple of tables with various forms, and a not-so-long line to the counter. As she approached the envelope dispenser however, she got a look at behind the counter. Pandemonium. Several shouting post masters and delivery ponies were in a mess of papers strewn about, spilt coffee, and scattered packages. Lyra couldn't believe what she was seeing, till she saw the source of the cacophony. She had to do her best to stifle a laugh, for behind the encounter, was Ponyville's sort-of-dependable but ever-cheerful mailpony Derpy Hooves, looking stressed as ever and apologizing to any and everypony that wasn't busy trying to clean up behind her. The mess then became completely understandable. Chuckling, she fished out a couple bits from her saddlebags and nabbed an envelope, a stamp, and some parchment, and walked over to an empty counter space away from the commotion. If she could get her letter in before Derpy left, she was sure it would reach its destination in a timely fashion, if wrinkled. She looked at the blank parchment for some time. Lyra did not want to write this letter. A special somepony had let her down, and just the memory soured her thoughts. She disliked feeling this way, with personal issues resting on her shoulders. She yearned to be carefree. It was why she had found herself in Ponyville in the first place. Lyra exhaled, and began writing. She decided to be the bigger mare. She scribbled a quick message, and shoved it in the envelope. She wrote ‘Sweetie Drops Confectionery, Ponyville’ on the front, and slipped it into the box. Feeling slightly better and proud of herself, she turned to the door. She almost made it, till someone called out to her. "Excuse me, miss? Is that an instrument case over your shoulder?" asked a smooth, sophisticated voice. "Particularly, a lyre?" Lyra turned around and saw that the earth pony from the front of the counter looking back at her. Her coat was dark grey, her hair black. Her cutie mark was a violet treble clef, matching the color of her eyes. Lyra grinned. "You betcha. It's quite the beautiful instrument." The pony smiled, and turned back to the counter. She removed a package from her saddlebags along with a few bits, and slid them on the counter, then turned back to Lyra. Walking up to Lyra, she continued. "Indeed, it is," she continued in a strong It's quite musically versatile in accompaniments, or playing melody. It may not be as versatile as a harp, but it plays well and isn't as cumbersome. It's a challenging instrument to sound competent with." "Well, I'm one of the most competent players you'll probably meet. I've been playing for over a decade. I even got a few compliments from some old greats. Once, Gentle Chimes himself paid me a compliment." The pony cocked an eyebrow. "Hmm, it's odd. I don't think I know you". Lyra continued to smile, but blinked twice. "Well, I'd think it pretty odd if you did, seeing as we've never met. I'm Lyra, by the way." "Yes, but I should know you," the pony insisted. She walked around Lyra, looking her up and down. "Peculiar. Are you, by chance, new here?" "Well, yes and no. Short answer: no. I know my way around town." Lyra's smiled dipped a tiny bit. Who is this pony, and what's that accent? It sounds like a false posh one residing over an already elegant Canterlotian one. The earth pony took a step towards the door. "Hmm. Lyra, where are you headed? I'm headed to the art district. Would you care to join me?" If it was another destination, Lyra would've said no. However, the art district was on the way to the residential district, and this pony seemed to know a thing or two about appreciating music. Plus, despite it magically disappearing, she still took the rainbow as a good omen. "Y'know, I wouldn't mind in the slightest." The two ponies stepped out the door, and made their way across the street. As they approached the carriage stop, Lyra noticed the cabbie she waved down was still parked. She walked over. "Hello sir, were you waiting for little ol' me?" Lyra said playfully. "Oh no, no no no, I'm merely was on my brunch break," he said mischievously. "Go ahead and hop in, I'm done." Lyra hoofed the door and stood aside. "After you miss...?" The pony walked past into the carriage. After taking a seat, she looked Lyra in her eyes. "Miss Octavia, if you please." *** Octavia sat across from Lyra, lounging on her seat. "What a humorous tale. The Equestrian countryside sure does sound... adventurous, to say the least. However, I'd like to know you're musical history, Lyra. If you don't mind." Lyra much preferred talking about Ponyville, but decided to oblige. "Certainly. I've been interested in music since I was a filly. I was lucky enough to go to several orchestra performances. To keep this short, they were awesome! Performance pieces included Maurice Stable, Colt Debussy, and Igor Trotvinsky. Y'know, all the contemporary big wigs. Eventually, I became interested in making my own sound. My parents bought me a tiny flute to keep me occupied. It didn't. I could not for the life of me make the sound I wanted to come out of it. It was the beginning of a long line of instruments that didn't feel just right. All the usual stuff, you know? The instruments got less and less traditional for 'little fillies' until they finally gave me this." Lyra glanced over and patted her case. "I've always wondered if I was destined to play the lyre because of my name, or if it was just happenstance. Anyways, I immediately fell in love. It sounded heavenly; exactly what I had in mind the whole time. Not only did my playing sound great to me, it sounded great enough for my parents. Great enough, for them to attempt to enroll me in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorn's music program. It didn't take long for the judges to decide I was more than a great fit for the program. Full ride." Octavia's eyes were wide open as she cut in. "How marvelous!" Lyra blushed. "Yeah, I guess. The rest is mostly history. I spent years growing up and being immersed in music. I got to meet a hoofful of prestigious musicians, I wrote a decent amount of pieces I still play today, and when I graduated I was even offered a job at the Canterlot Philharmonic Orchestra." Octavia's eye's narrowed. "What? The CPO? I don't believe it. I've never seen you, I've never heard of you, yet you were good enough to get an offer from the CPO? And why in the world did you not take it?" Lyra stared Octavia in her eyes, and then reached for her saddlebags. She scooped out her lyre case, and unlocked it. Upon opening it, Octavia saw a weathered instrument, one that was once extremely beautiful but had suffered damage not from misuse, but from love. Lyra picked it up with her hooves. She sat up, in the upright position she got made fun of by all her friends in Ponyville, and looked at Octavia in silence. Then, with a grin, she started to play. Slowly, Octavia's jaw dropped. The first couple of notes sounded like Lyra was trying to tune, but slowly a mood built up around it. The single whole notes became accentuated with just the right lead lines that faded in and out. The piece was slow but not a grave, just slow enough to entrap the mind of anyone fortunate enough to be within listening distance. Octavia's ears were eating it up. Lyra's face was solemn, and her eyes were closed in concentration. Eventually the piece shifted. The mood it was creating started to take on a more traditional style, and a consistent melody eked out of the lyre, with accompanying two note chords. By then, Lyra had hit her rhythm, adding triplet flourishes and unique chord voicings, her hoofs dancing around the instrument. By then, Octavia was in a trance. She she kept the theme relatively simple, sticking to the palate of sounds she had established. With the variation, she stripped the chords to bass notes and added a counter melody. It sounded as if two souls were dancing. It was beyond beautiful. Octavia started to blush, embarrassed for ever questing this mysterious pony's abilities. Instantly Lyra changed gears. All of the sudden the piece became wild. Notes were coming faster than Octavia thought possible for that kind of instrument. More importantly however, were what pitches actually were. What the notes were saying. At first, it was heavy and melodic, but now it was frantic and strong and searching. To an untrained ear the sound would've tread a little too close to noise for their liking, but Octavia's ears, immersed in music longer than Lyra had been alive, lapped it up hungrily. As the piece came to a close, Octavia's spirit slowly floated down from where it had been elevated. She found her breath was quick, and she felt like she had had ice water dumped on her then pushed into a furnace. She felt as alive as when she listened to her favorite composers, and she felt it, even if she wasn't sure what it was. Finally done, Lyra looked up with a steel gaze, catching Octavia's eyes. After a beat, she broke a smile. "Ms. Heartstrings! That was... marvelous! That was stupendous! That was, if I may, awesome! I apologize I ever doubted you, and—” Octavia’s eyes widened as she realized. Lyra was sitting up with the lyre still in her hooves. Her hooves! "You... you played... without magic?" "Yeah. My professors were quite cross with me about that. I was at a school for 'gifted unicorns', y'know, but I insisted I played with my hooves. They eventually they let me be, but the disapproving stares never stopped. It feels good, y'know? To feel it in your hooves. Too actually feel what you're playing." Lyra ran a hoof down her old, weathered friend. Octavia's eyes shined. They sat in silence for a while. Eventually, she said quietly, "Thank you." "Oh, no problem. I wrote that when I-" "No, Lyra. It's not just your music. It's how you play." Octavia stroked her mane. "Obviously, I play with only my hooves too, and it's been so... hard..." She paused. Being open with others is not something Octavia liked to do. She lowered her voice. "It's been so hard. To learn how to play my favorite instruments with hooves. I heard the sounds, I heard them in my heart but the struggle to make them real was immense. Even when I was finally capable, to get people to even take me seriously in this city was a trouble of itself. To not get laughed off before given a chance." Octavia turned to face the window. "Of course, that was a long time ago. Lately I've finally reached my dreams, but I remember years ago fighting tooth and nail for every note I was allowed to make on stage. Most people, even my colleagues, don't remember what I had to do to get where I am today. I am the only notable earth pony cellist in the city, Lyra." Lyra sat in silence. She was well aware of how Canterlot operated. She knew the stigmas that still pervaded behind Canterlot's pretty face. Of course, it wasn't out of malice, but it didn't mean that it didn't hurt, and it occasionally closed some doors prematurely. "I feel conflicted, but good, though. Here you are, a young unicorn mare mastering an instrument so thoroughly, a feat I take after my own heart. And, you chose to play the way I have to." Octavia looked back at Lyra and smiled sheepishly. "I want to feel at least a little sour, as if you were showing off, but I know that's not the case." Lyra gave her usual grin. "Definitely. On top of it all, I can barely play with my magic. Can you believe that?" She let out a small chuckle. Luckily, Octavia joined her. As their laughter died down, they sat in silence a bit. Then, Octavia perked up. "Uh, sir? Why are we stopped?" Octavia asked the cabbie. "OH! Oh, sorry miss. I was just, ah..." The cabbie looked around. He had parked on the side of the street. "I guess I forgot myself, miss." Lyra laughed again. "It's quite alright good fellow! A well laid tune can entrap any poor soul within earshot. I take it as a compliment; I thank ye," she said in a goofy voice. "I'll just, uh, keep goin' then." The carriage started to ease back into traffic, and continue to the art district. The carriage pulled up in front of a lavish apartment. It was gated, with a cast iron fence around it. It even had a mini park, where several foals were playing under the watchful eyes of their parents. "Here I am," said Octavia. She gathered her saddlebag and tossed it on her back, and stepped down from the carriage onto the cobbled street. Quickly, she turned around, holding the door open. "Lyra, today has been... special. I want to properly thank you again for what you did." Lyra blushed again. "It was nothing, Miss Octavia." Octavia let out a coy smirk. "Simply 'Octavia' will suffice. I would love to spend some time with you to speak about music further, especially while I'm in the company of my cello. Would you care to meet tomorrow after my rehearsal?" "Sure thing," Lyra replied. "Tell me where and when." Octavia fished out some bits and paid the cabbie. Turning back to Lyra, she opened a side pocket on her saddle bag and pulled out a card. She set it down on the seat besides Lyra. "Meet me at 4:30 behind this building. Ta-ta." And with that, Octavia closed the door and made her way to the gate. Puzzled, Lyra reached down to pick up the car, and paused with her mouth open as she read the card. Instantly she was at the window. "Whoa, you work there?" she shouted after Octavia. Octavia smiled to herself, and then turned. In a haughty voice, she replied "You're not the only one with talent, Miss Lyra." *** Lyra woke from her nap. It was only a quick rest, but she had dreamed. As it faded, one image still hung in her mind. It was one of the ones from before. Twilight. Covered in red. Lyra was wondering just what that purple unicorn was up to when the carriage stopped. As Lyra stepped out and tried to pay the cabbie, only to find out Octavia had covered her fair. She was greatly appreciative of her generosity, especially considering her circumstances. However she didn't want to be a charity case. As the carriage pulled away, she couldn't help but feel herself shrink, figuratively and physically. She slowly turned, and let out a deep sigh. "Whelp, welcome home Lyra." The residential district did have a lot of apartments. They were all insanely expensive, costing thousands of bits a month. Artisans and engineers stayed there, gifted ponies who were some of the most talented minds in all of Equestria. However, no matter how expensive apartments where, they had nothing on the actual houses in Canterlot. Did she say houses? She meant mansions, and the one owned by Lyra's family was one of the largest in the capital. Pegasus architecture always had a regal and exotic look about it. The style was only meant to be applied to clouds, and it was insanely expensive to try to mold solid rock into comparable structures with at least decent structural integrity. The process took the strongest earth pony hooves, the most delicate of unicorn magic, and at least one willing pegasus to put up with all the complications long enough to get the job done. Despite all this, Lyra's house was nothing but pegasus architecture. As she strolled down the lawn to her front door, the pit in her stomach deepened more and more. The house was full of happy memories, mostly, but returning now was the last thing on her list of wants. The walk was slow, and it wasn't just the length of the lawn; it was the sullen dread that hung over her. Lyra paused at the steps to her front door. "No. This is going to continue to be a good day," she said to herself. "This is going to be a pleasant stay. I'm not going to let it get me down." She inhaled deeply. With newfound confidence, she scaled the steps. Taking a key out of her bags, she opened the door and stepped inside. The foyer was just as Lyra remembered it, maybe a bit bigger. It was a two story room, with a balcony overlooking it. The room was furnished lavishly, filled with modern design and art. Every inch of floor space was covered in a carpet as soft as clouds, and the three main-level exits lead to grand hallways were lined with paintings, pictures and display cases. It was the room of somepony trying to impress, and that somepony was very successful at it. A sound from the balcony made her look up. A cobalt earth pony wearing a high collar was approaching the balcony “Who’s there? Who's this coming into my house? You better have a good reason for breaking in before I break y— Lyra? Lyra, my filly! Aria, come here!” “What is it Granite?” A brilliantly malachite-green pegasus in an evening gown approached behind the earth pony. She gasped loudly. “Oh my, is that our Lyra? My little Lyra?” Lyra threw her grin. “Hi mom, hi dad.” In no time at all, her parents had made it down the grand staircase and Lyra found herself in a tight embrace. “It’s so good to see you! Why didn’t you send word? We were worried about you so much. Where have you been? What did you do to your hair?” asked Aria. “My hair’s been like this since I left. I happen to like it, thank you very much.” Aria paused a bit. “It’s funny, after telling you no all while you were growing up, I think I kind of like it.” “So Lyra, where have you been? You didn’t actually go to Ponyville, did you?” Aria cut him short. “Oh Granite, leave her be. We can talk about it at dinner.” “Actually, yes, among other places.” Granite frowned. “And what have you been doing in... Ponyville?” Lyra felt like her father spat out the word, like it tasted like dirt to him. “If you must know, I’ve been having the time of my life. I’ve seen so many wonders. I’ve had a run-in with parasprites, an ursa minor, and even Cerberus himself. I’ve seen a couple of dragons, I’ve seen a real-life superhero, I’ve participated in wrapping up winter and I got caught in the skirmish in Appleloosa, if you can actually call it that. Did you even hear about it all the way here in Canterlot? Did you know I was there for the return of Princess Luna? I even saw Nightmare Moon, in person!” Aria audibly gasped at this. Lyra took pleasure from it, and kept on. “And I thought that was rough till Discord came and turned Ponyville into his personal domain for half a day. Or several days, technically, since he was manipulating the sun, moon, and stars.” Her mother stared speechless at her. Her father's frown deepened. “Don’t worry, I was safe. There’s a local group of mares that seem to always keep the town safe. They get into all sorts of trouble, but no one’s been hurt. Our local paper calls them The Ponyville Six. Maybe you've heard of them? One of their names should be quite familiar. But speaking of them, it reminds me. I’ve made friends. A ton of them.” Lyra paused, looking away. “Some of them are no longer with us...” After a moment, she turned back to her parents. “But they were special. They are special. All my friends in Ponyville are special. Not that the friends I had here were bad, but these ones are refreshing and won’t ask about your social status or anything. We've been through real life together, and I love it.” Granite huffed. “‘Real life’? Do you even work?” Lyra rolled her eyes. She walked over to the couch and plopped down, discarding her saddlebags. “Of course. I work at a candy store.” As Aria sat down on a couch opposite of Lyra with her husband, her eyes lit up. “A candy store? That sounds highly amusing.” “It doesn't sound like well-paying work,” said Granite as he joined his wife. “Or glamorous work. Or even hard work. Work worthy of my lineage. You can’t possibly have enough to take care of yourself.” Lyra frowned. “Of course not, but my boss is particularly nice—” “You have a boss?” both her parents shouted in unison. “Weird, I know.” Lyra rubbed the back of her head. “She can’t pay me in bits right now, so I get compensated by being allowed to stay with her. She’s very hard working, and she reminds me a lot of you, dad, if you ever decided to live life a little.” Granite simply huffed in response. “Working there is fun, and I do get vacation sometimes. I took off work to go to the Grand Galloping Gala last year, and it was wild! Those six mares I mentioned earlier showed up and utterly destroyed the place!" Lyra was flailing her arms, getting wrapped up in her tale. "Saved it from being a snore fest. I also took off to go to a wedding once, and changelings attacked! I was even impersonated by one! Again those six mares did a lot to save the day, again! It’s interesting, they seem to get around, and I’m pretty connected to one of them...” Lyra finally looked at her parents. Her mother looked dejected, her father furious. “Unless I’m mistaken,” he said evenly, “both of those events happened in a placed called Canterlot. A place where your two loving parents reside. Two loving parents who had no idea where you were, for how long, was it?" Lyra swallowed hard, continued carefully. “Well, I didn't have a lot of time to hang out, being employed and all, and I only ever visited for specific reasons so I didn't have time to—” “Time to visit your family?” Aria snapped at her. Aria’s tone was tense, but wavering. Lyra gulped. "Lyra, we love you. We raised you. How could you forget us like that?" Granite rose. “I’m happy you’re safe. That is what’s most important to me, but clearly you don’t have your values in proper alignment. Your time in Ponyville is being wasted. Being a candy maker won’t carry you anywhere in life." He slowly approached Lyra, grinding his teeth. Eventually, he towered over her. "You're above that! You’re Lyra Heartstrings, you should be either making music or in construction like me, or something worthy of your time. It’s unbecoming to be a nobody at a specialty store, surrounded by a bunch of common ponyfolk. We sacrificed too much to get you where you were before you left us, and every day you slack around makes me feel like one big bucking joke!" "You're the one who's joking if you think I feel any remorse for not repaying favors I never asked for!" Lyra shouted as loud as she could. Granite gave his daughter a look that could've cut glass. It took all of her might to return his gaze, but Lyra stood her ground, looking up to him. Seconds passed. Eventually, Aria sniffled behind him. With that, he made for the stairs. “Dad!” Lyra started, but then her mother rose as well to follow him. “Mother?” Aria shook her head, and wiped her eyes. She ascended the steps with her husband. At the top, she turned and faced Lyra, still rooted to the spot. With a pained expression she looked into her daughters eyes, and said, “Welcome home, Lyra.”