//------------------------------// // Performances // Story: The Mare Formerly Known as Lyra // by Dubs Rewatcher //------------------------------// “Wow...there sure are, uh, a lot of ponies out there.”         Lyra gave a grunt of approval at Backbeat’s comment. Currently, they were both waiting in the backstage area of the space the Windwoods used for their performances. Backbeat stared, both amazed and scared, from behind the curtain at the dozens of ponies that littered the outdoor dining hall/theater. There had to be at least a hundred, she figured, all dressed up for the occasion. It was as the hotel was a real theater, instead of...a hotel. Lyra simply shrugged it off; she was a professional musician, and was used to large crowds.         Instead of gawking at the audience, Lyra was focused on the lyric sheet in front of her. Noteworthy had insisted they do a certain song for the performance, and, of course, it was one neither mare had ever heard before. Backbeat had picked it up pretty quickly, but Lyra, used to instrumental pieces, was still in the process of memorizing it. Even if she wasn’t going to sing, she still had to move her lips in time with Backbeat’s voice. She wasn’t worried, though—they had done perfectly back during their morning rehearsal at Galaxy. They just needed to run through it a few more times, and they would be good.         Noteworthy was just a few feet away, pacing around the room. Understandably, he was nervous about the coming performance. He had seen and done some strange things throughout his music career. Hay, he had even worked with lip syncing machines before! But never in his life did he expect to be in the situation he was in now. There were so many things that could go wrong! What if one of them messed up? What if they were found out? What if         “Noteworthy.”         The stallion looked up to see Backbeat sitting in his path. She wore a weak smile, and worried eyes. “Noteworthy, are you, uh, feeling okay?”         He took a deep breath. “Yeah. I mean, I’m just a little stressed, is all. I’ll be fine.”         “Are you sure? ...Do you-”         “I’m good on the coffee. Thanks, though, Backbeat. You have no idea how great it is to have you around.”         Backbeat blushed, and returned to her spot near Lyra. She looked over the turquoise unicorn’s shoulder. “How are you doing on the song? I mean, do you, uh, know the lyrics and everything?”         Lyra ran a hooftip along the last few lines of the song. “You finally find...you and I collide...” she whispered to herself, before smiling and rolling up the paper. “Okay, I think I’m good! Maybe we should just go through it once or twice mo-”         The trio looked to the source of the new noise. Walking toward them, a headset around his skull and a clipboard levitating beside him, was a cyan unicorn stallion. His cutie mark was a megaphone. He wore a look of slight annoyance. “Clear out. We gotta get this ‘ere stage reh’ for tonoights pahformance.” he said through a thick Trottingham accent.         All three stood. “Where should I wait?” asked Lyra.         “Go foind ya dressin’ room. We’ll send somepony ova when it’s toim fa ya ta go on.”         Lyra looked at Noteworthy. “We- I mean, I have a dressing room?”         Noteworthy shrugged.         The stage hand facehoofed. “It don’t mattah ta moi weh ya go, as long as ya don’t stoi ‘ere.”         “Well,” Noteworthy said, taking a step forward, “let’s go, I guess.” At his words, the three walked out, into the side stage. He looked back at the mares. “So, I should find your dressing room. You two wait here. I should only be a minute.” ----------         It had been ten minutes.         ‘This shouldn’t be so hard!’ Noteworthy thought to himself as he traversed the surprisingly large space the Windwoods used for shows. ‘It’s a whole room! Just find it already!’         Maybe he was stubborn. Maybe it was his stallion sense of pride. Maybe it was memories of countless family road trips, marred by his parents arguing about which turn to take. Maybe it was all three. But for some reason, Noteworthy could not bring himself to ask one of the many stage hands for assistance. Even when one had taken the initiative and asked him if he needed help, Noteworthy simply declined and said he knew where he was going. Cue suppressed giggling from the hand when Noteworthy passed him again, a minute later.         Noteworthy was, without a doubt, stressed. Maybe Lyra and Backbeat couldn’t tell, but their entire situation was weighing down on him like a ton of bricks. The entire week he and Backbeat had been waiting for Lyra, he hadn’t worried at all. Who would have guessed that Lyra would turn out to be the worst singer in the world? Not him. And now that they were all stuck together like this...well, it wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to deal with.         Part of him(the more optimistic part) was telling him he should feel lucky. They had a plan! It was a strange one, no doubt, but it was a plan all the same.         And he had to feel lucky about who he was working with. Backbeat was his best friend. She was loyal, kind and smart. Even if she was a bit strange(especially lately), she was the best assistant a pony could ask for. Lyra was a new friend, but still a friend. She was rational and creative. While she may not have been a genius in every facet of music, she was still one of the most musically-inclined ponies he knew. And he had only known her for about a week-and-a-half!         Noteworthy took a deep breath, still walking down the dimly lit hallways of the Windwoods. He just needed to calm down...         "Hey there, Blues."         Noteworthy's ears pricked up at the use of his dreaded nickname. He recognized that voice. He turned. Standing just behind him, a confident grin dancing across his face, was Key Change.         The blue stallion stared, silently steaming, at the new, ashen-furred pony. "Key Change, what are you doing here?"         “Just waiting for the show to start, I suppose.”         “You know that’s not what I mean. Why are you here? Who told you? How did you even get in?”         “Whoa, slow down! One question at a time! You know that mare that came in second at the Music Festival? Blue Belle? If you didn’t know, I’m her manager now. Well, it turns out your Lyra went to see her the other day.” Key Change explained, beginning to circle Noteworthy. “She told Blue Belle about this concert, and Blue Belle told me.” He leaned in closer. “And I just had to see what Blues had cooked up. And, by the way, it’s a public performance. I have every right to be here.”         Noteworthy swallowed. “That’s not my name.”         “Oh, lighten up, Blues!” Key Change shot back, laughing. “It’s just a nickname. And you’ve got a lot of reasons to be happy! For the first time in...what, three years? You’ve got a gig that some ponies actually care about.” There was a pause. “At a hotel.” Key Change added. He was still grinning. Noteworthy glared. “And I know you’ve got those two mares all over your-”         “YOU LIE!” Noteworthy yelped, pointing accusingly and blushing furiously. “I am a virgin, I haven’t gone anywhere near those two!” He crossed himself as he said it. A moment passed before Noteworthy realized what he had just said. “Wait, I mean-”         He was interrupted by a guffaw from Key Change. “No, no, Blues, you don’t have to convince me, I believe you. Anyway, I’m expecting a great show.”         Noteworthy took a step back. “Yeah, well, enjoy it. It’s gonna be amazing. I have stuff to do, so if you’d just let me go, I’d appreciate it.” he said. The blue pony walked toward Key Change, expecting him to move. He didn’t.         Instead, Key Change began to look around, almost nervously. Noteworthy was about to ask what in the world he was doing, but he was cut short. Key Change suddenly removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of piercing ruby-red eyes. His grin was gone, replaced by a look of anger. He moved into Noteworthy, and began to jab him in the chest with his hooftip.         “You know, Blues, I don’t think you know something. Do you want to know what that is?”         Noteworthy gaped. “I...what?”         “You’re nothing.” Key Change seethed. His eyes narrowed. “Nothing at all, compared to me. I don’t know why you weren’t fired years ago. But somehow you’ve lasted this long, and I don’t like that. You have no idea how much I hate to tell you this, but do you know what you are?”         “I-I-I...” Noteworthy stammered. He tried to retreat, but Key Change matched his every step. The ashen-furred stallion was jabbing him with every word. Noteworthy could feel a bruise forming. He wanted to resist, but there was some hidden quality in his rival’s irises that forced him to comply with Key Change’s prompts.” I-I...I’m n-nothing?”         “Yes, but that’s not it. You, Blues,” he began mockingly, “are a threat. I don’t know how, but you somehow convinced Lyra to join you. She should have been with me, and you know that.”         “B-but, you have Blue Belle! Isn’t she a-ama-amazing?”         “Who, ‘Miss Second Place?’ She’s good, but not good enough. Not to mention she can’t make a single bucking mistake without crying for five hours.”         Noteworthy swallowed, but found it a bit difficult, considering the lump that had formed in his throat. “S-So, I’m...I’m both a nothing and a threat?”         Key Change just glared at him, red boring into blue. “Shut up. I’m going to give you an offer. I suggest you take it.”         “Huh?”         “Quit. Right now. Call Two Step, and quit.”         Noteworthy blinked. “But why?”         “That way, Lyra is fair game.” Key Change explained. “I can get rid of Blue Belle, and work with the pony I really want.”         For the first time since Key Change had...changed, Noteworthy felt a flicker of confidence somewhere inside. He grabbed hold of it, and rebutted: “What makes you think Lyra would ever agree to work with an asshole like you?”         Key Change slapped Noteworthy across the face.         Noteworthy stood, stunned for a moment.         “So, I’m assuming you accept my proposal?”         “I, wait, you...” Noteworthy blubbered. “...NO!”          Key Change bared his teeth. For a moment, Noteworthy could have sworn that the crazed stallion was going to lunge at him. But at the last moment, Key Change closed his mouth. He growled as his red eyes disappeared behind black lenses.         "Fine then. If you won't quit, then I'll just have to crush you." Key Change said without missing a beat. He pushed past Noteworthy, and around a corner.         Noteworthy gulped. What was that?! He had known Key Change was a jerk ever since they first met, but he had never seen the stallion like this. It was like Nightmare Moon herself crawled into his skin and died.          “Oh, one more thing.”         Noteworthy glanced at the corner Key Change had disappeared around. Now only his head was peeking out. His mane had been slicked back again, taming the few hairs that had escaped during his rant. That grin, the one that Noteworthy hated so, was back.         He pointed down the hallway that Noteworthy had been originally heading down. “Go down this hall, take the right, take a left, and it’ll be the first door on your left.” he explained before leaving again.         There was silence. Noteworthy’s eye twitched. “I KNEW THAT!” ----------         After Noteworthy had returned, and Backbeat had a moment of panic due to the red marks on Noteworthy’s chest and face(to which he explained: “It’s a long story”), Lyra and Backbeat made their way to the dressing room that was designated for events just like this. Despite the difficulty Noteworthy faced finding it, the dressing room was surprisingly close to the stage.         "Wow..." Lyra whispered to Backbeat, "it's been a while since I've had my own dressing room. Well, I guess we'll be sharing it, so it's not all my own."         Backbeat frowned. "Actually, uh, Lyra...we're going to be sharing the room with the main act. Sorry..."         "Nah, it's fine, Backbeat." Lyra responded. Now, they were both standing in front of a large, orange wood door. A slightly dented sign near the top read: 'DINNER THEATER DRESSING ROOM.' Muffled screaming could be heard from inside. The two mares exchanged looks...before Lyra swung the door open. She was just in time to see an open water bottle hurtling straight toward her face.         "Sweet Baby Luna!" Lyra cried as she ducked, letting the plastic container soar overhead. It exploded against the floor behind them.         "The Great and Powerful Trixie specifically asked for ROOM TEMPERATURE WATER. Not this warm slop!"         A yellow stage hand, just barely old enough to be considered a mare, cowered at the blue unicorn's wrath. "I-I'm sorry, Ms. T-T-Trixie. It won't happen again."         Trixie stared down at the yellow unicorn, her body literally shaking with rage. "It most certainly will not. Now, go get Trixie what she asked for!”         With that, the stage hand sprinted, tears running down her face, out of the room. It was only then that Trixie noticed the two new mares in the room. They all stared at each other for a moment, before the cyan mare nickered and turned back to her vanity stand. Her long cape flourished as she did it. "You simply can’t find good help these days."         Lyra rolled her eyes and began to walk to the other side of the room. There, lining the walls, were three different stations, each one housing a variety of different mane styling tools, makeups, and mirrors. Backbeat followed close behind, being careful not to make eye contact with the angry silver-maned unicorn.         The two pulled their seats closer to each other. "Don't worry," Lyra whispered, "she's just a washed-up magician. She's got nothing on us."         “How do you know?” Backbeat responded, taking glances at Trixie. She swallowed. “S-She looks confident.”         “A few months ago, she came to Ponyville. She told a bogus story about how she single-hoofedly defeated an Ursa Major. Six hours later, a real Ursa comes in, and she runs away. I’m amazed she’s back on the road already; she got roughed up pretty badly.”         Backbeat looked down. “Oh. Well.”         “But I guess I doesn’t really matter.” Lyra said. “It’s not like this is a contest or anything. Anyway, do you wanna practice? We’ve only got about a half-an-hour left.” ----------         The floor that Lyra and Backbeat stood on seemed to shake, their hearts were beating so hard. They could hear the hotel manager: an excitable young unicorn named Sweet Suite. She stood on the main stage, addressing the crowd.         “Attention, fillies and gentlecolts! I trust that you have been enjoying your meals? We here at the Windwoods take pride in every thing that we do, and we hope that you find the fruits of our labor pleasing! But, I doubt you came here this evening just to hear me talk. Am I right, everypony?”         There was a short murmur of agreement.         The demurity of the crowd didn’t seem to faze Sweet. “Great! So, let me get to the chase. We have a great show for you tonight! Performing for us is a mare truly born of magic! The ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie!”         There was a round of applause, significantly louder than the last. Lyra rolled her eyes—these ponies didn’t know what they were getting into.         “But first, we have a very special musical treat! It is my honor to present to you: Heartstrings!”         As the crowd applauded, Lyra shot Backbeat an annoyed look.         Backbeat held her hooves up defensively. “D-Don’t blame me! We got signed up for this before the whole, uh...incident. Anyway...get out there!” She nudged her head in the direction of the stage.         The turquoise unicorn nodded before cantering out onto the stage. She had, like so many times before, shifted into her “concert mode.” She looked charming and professional. She looked as if she wasn’t about to basically cheat the entire audience. Lyra took her place at the mic stand. Sweet Suite was just a bit taller than Lyra, so she adjusted it...and while she was doing so, she flicked the “on/off” switch to the “off” position.         As if it had been planned by Celestia herself, it just so happened that Backbeat knew a certain spell that would amplify one’s voice to whatever volume they wanted. As the red-maned unicorn never really liked to raise her voice, she was a bit out of practice—but she was still good enough for it to work. Lyra would simply mouth empty words into the inactive microphone, while Backbeat did the real singing.         For a moment, she glanced backstage to where Backbeat was. The white unicorn’s horn was glowing fiercely. Lyra lifted her hoof up and pointed the flat toward the sky; a hoof gesture used to symbolize enthusiasm. She turned back just as the music kicked in. A light acoustic guitar, accented by long violin chords after a few moments.         “Here goes nothing...” both mares thought in unison.         “The dawn is breaking— A light shining through. You're barely waking And I'm tangled up in you, yeah.” Despite the fact she had already heard it multiple times in multiple places, Backbeat’s singing voice still sent shivers down Lyra’s spine. She was keeping up so far. It was true that she couldn’t exactly see through the glaring spotlight, but it didn’t seem like anypony was getting up to throw tomatoes either. “I'm open, you're closed. Where I follow, you'll go. I worry I won't see your face Light up again! “Even the best fall down sometimes. Even the wrong words seem to rhyme. Out of the doubt that fills my mind, I somehow find you and I collide!” From her place behind the curtain, Backbeat could only catch short glimpses of the audience(although she did have more visibility than Lyra). It was all she could do to not stop the spell right there and find a nice bed to hide under. But yet...they seemed to be affected by her voice. Almost enthralled. For a moment, she let herself actually listen to her own voice. She knew that everypony’s voice sounded different to themselves, but still...it was beautiful! Maybe Lyra and Noteworthy were right! Maybe singing was her special talent! Maybe... It was at that moment that, through a slit in the curtain, looking over Lyra’s back and through the crowd, her eye met another; one the color of pure black. A black eye surrounded by gray-brown fur. She recognized it well. Her amplification spell died for a beat as shock ran throughout her body. She could see the same shock, albeit for a different reason, run through Lyra’s veins too. The red-maned unicorn silently swore to herself. Luckily, it didn’t seem like anypony had noticed. “I'm quiet you know. You make a first impression. I've found I'm scared to know: I'm always on your mind.” Key Change blinked, before slowly removing his jet-black sunglasses. “What the hay was that?” Blue Belle, who had been enjoying the show so far, stopped mouthing the words to the song and glanced at her manager. “What was what?” “There was somepony behind the curtain. She looked familiar. And the sound went off for a second.” “It was probably a stage hand you saw when you left to talk to Blues before.” “No, that couldn’t have been it.” Key Change stood up. “I’ll be right back. Save my seat.” “Oh, of course.” the blue unicorn responded. Once he had trotted away, she sighed and returned her gaze to the singing mare on stage. “Even the best fall down sometimes. Even the stars refuse to shine. Out of the back you fall in time, I somehow find you and I collide! “Don't stop here. I lost my place... I'm close behind!” Noteworthy was very aware that his reputation, nay, his career rested on this performance going well. But yet, he was feeling strangely calm. Backbeat’s voice had that effect. At least, he felt calm. That was until he realized: in the few moments he had peeled his eyes away from watching Key Change’s every move, the stallion had disappeared. He started to sweat. He scanned the crowd, looking for the errant pony. All the while, he resisted the urge to make sure nopony was sneaking up on him with a knife. “Even the best fall down sometimes. Even the wrong words seem to rhyme. Out of the doubt that fills your mind, You finally find you and I collide!” Key Change was sure he had seen...whoever behind the curtain. And he was also sure that he saw, even if just for a second, her lips moving and her horn glowing. He had been in the business for a long time, and he knew what lip syncing looked like. He allowed himself a small grin as he traversed the backstage area, ignoring the confused stares he was receiving from stage hands who weren’t exactly sure he was supposed to be there. “To think...Noteworthy would have to stoop to something as low as this! Makes sense...only way he could think of to win is to cheat.” The singing grew louder and louder as  he got closer to the curtain. He rounded the final corner. What he saw simply confirmed his suspicions. He couldn't place a name, but he recognized the mare from...somewhere. Galaxy? It didn't matter. What did matter was that Noteworthy was trying to cheat them all. So, not only was he unworthy of having Lyra, he was just wasting her talent! Key Change rubbed his temples and grinned. The song was ending. He made his way back to the table. “You finally find you and I collide, You finally find you and I collide.” The guitar and violin continued for a few moments more, but the audience didn't seem to notice. By the time the music faded away, every single pony(excluding one stallion) was on their hooves, stomping as hard as they possibly could. Cheers erupted from the crowd and Lyra gave a graceful bow. Backbeat smiled, but jumped slightly as she suddenly felt the soft touch of a familiar leg around her shoulder. "They're clapping for you, you know." Noteworthy said. "Yeah, they are, aren't they?" "You deserve it. You were bucking amazing." Backbeat gave the biggest grin she had given in years. "I was, wasn't I?" ---------- "YOU FOALS KNOW NOTHING OF TRUE TALENT! THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE IS BETTER THAN YOU ALL!" These were the words that Lyra heard, clear as day, from her dressing room as she sat alone, thinking to herself. A minute later, the azure mare in question bust into the room. Her normally purple coat was now covered in multi-colored splotches, and she carried the vague smell of produce. Trixie grit her teeth and stared at the empty hallway. “These ponies don’t know what true art is! They should feel honored that The Great and Powerful Trixie is even bothering to perform for them!” It was at that moment that Lyra made the mistake of giggling. “What?!” the blue unicorn snapped, spinning to face the turquoise. “What are you laughing at?” Lyra’s smile faded. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean-” “You have no right! How can a simple musician even think she can compare to a magician? Especially one that sits like that!” “Hey!” Lyra barked, snuggling deeper into her slouched position. “You can be angry with me, but don’t bring my sitting into this! That’s going too far.” Trixie turned up her nose. “Hmf!” She trotted to her mirror. There were a few moments of awkward silence. “Where did your friend go?” Trixie asked. “Home.” “Why are you still here?” “Well, I’m staying here at the hotel. And it’s always polite to stay until the act you headline for is finished.” Another rest. “...You know,” Lyra said, “I actually kinda liked your show, when you came to Ponyville.” The magician’s ears perked up. “You did?” “Yeah. I mean...until the Ursa came, and all that. I’ve always wished I could do magic like that, even if it is all just illusions.” “But you-” “Yeah, yeah, I’m a unicorn, I know. A unicorn with a faulty horn. I’ve never really been able to do magic. It gets hard sometimes, but you learn to deal.” “Trixie sees.” Trixie replied, taking off her pointed purple hat. “Well, The Great and Powerful Trixie thanks you for your kindness. Knowing that the fans like it make the entire thing worth it. ...At least, if I had any fans.” Lyra turned around in her chair and smiled. “Don’t worry. Just keep doing what you love, and they’ll come. Trust me.” “But-” “Trust me. Ponies are a lot more forgiving than they seem.” Trixie turned in her chair and made eye contact with Lyra. “Tri...I understand. I’ll remember that.” knock knock Both mares looked at the door, then back to each other. Neither was expecting anypony. “Maybe Backbeat forgot something?” Lyra thought, jumping out of her seat. She opened the door...and immediately regretted the decision.         Standing in the doorway, a rolled up parchment in her mouth and an angry look on her face, was Bon Bon. ----------         “So...you really think I was good?”         Noteworthy rolled his eyes. “Yes, Backbeat. For the twentieth time, you were amazing.”         The white mare giggled. “I just love making you say that. I feel amazing too! Like I could take on the world, or something.         Now it was the stallion’s turn to laugh. “I can tell! Good for you, Backbeat. You deserve it. With you singing, we’re all gonna be set for life.”         Suddenly, Backbeat’s face darkened. She stopped walking. “Noteworthy, I just thought of something...what’s going to happen to Lyra after all this is over?”         “What do you mean?”         “Well, I doubt she’s going to want to be a figurehead her entire life.”         Noteworthy shrugged and kept walking down the dark sidewalk. “I’m not sure. I can try and get her a deal playing lyre, but I can’t guarantee anything. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”         Backbeat ran to catch up with him. “That bridge is coming up soon! We have to talk about this!”         “Look, Backbeat...I’m happy that you’re happy, and I get that our plan isn’t perfect. But I’m tired. Can’t we just a have a nice walk, the two of us?”         She blushed. “Well, uh, I guess...”         Noteworthy stared for a second. “That was weird,” he thought, “she was really confident, but she just suddenly lost it. Huh.”         Backbeat adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. She grinned. “But, anyway. Back to talking about how great I am.” ----------         A deathly silence hung over the room as Bon Bon walked in. She looked straight ahead, not bothering to acknowledge either unicorn. She placed her papers on the table in the middle of the room. They quickly unfurled to reveal two separate objects: a small piece of paper, and a larger...magazine?         Lyra was speechless. Trixie could feel the tension like a second coat. Bon Bon took in a visibly strained breath.         "Lyra..."         "Bon Bon, I know you're mad, but I can explain."         Bon Bon pulled the small note closer to her and cleared her throat.         "Dear Bon Bon,         "I hate to tell you like this, but I'm not sure I could stand to see you react. I'm going away to Canterlot for a long time(not sure how long yet) to make music. I promise I'll try and visit. Hay, maybe you can visit me!         "Sincerely, Lyra.”         Bon Bon turned to the turquoise mare. “Really, Lyra? A note?”         “I...I’m sorry?” Lyra whimpered.         “You’re sorry?! What the heck, Lyra?! How can you just suddenly leave one day without telling me, your best friend?!” Bon Bon yelled, causing Lyra to flinch. “I thought we told each other everything!”         “I’m sorry Bon Bon, but there was something that I needed to do here!”         “And why didn’t you tell me earlier?”         Lyra blinked. “I, uh...because, um...there wasn’t enough time!”         Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “Really.”         “Yeah! I just got the call that moment, and they told me that I had to leave right away, or I’d never be able to make music here again!” Lyra yelped, gesticulating madly to emphasize her point.         “Oh, riiiiiight. That’s why I was helping you find music for a ‘concert.’”         Lyra’s ears flattened. “Oh. You remember that.”         “Yes, I do! I remember the last time I saw my best friend before she moved to Canterlot!”         Gulping, Lyra looked over Bon Bon’s shoulder, perhaps to make some kind of eye contact with the other unicorn. However, Trixie’s seat was empty. From the hallway, the sound of somepony galloping away could be heard.         Bon Bon turned back to the table and grabbed the magazine with her mouth. “And fr whut? Jsht show you cin pley rock stir?”         “What do you mean?” Lyra asked. Bon Bon placed the booklet on the floor in front of the unicorn. It was a copy of Equestria Daily. The front cover displayed the usual stuff: rumors, celebrities cheating on each other, an interview with Lyra, sexy beach bods-         Wait. Interview with Lyra?!         But there it was. Right there in the top-left corner, a small picture of Lyra sat, heralded in bold text with: “PAGE 65: INTERVIEW WITH THE WINNER OF THE CANTERLOT MUSIC FESTIVAL!”         “I...What the hay? I never did an interview! Honest!”         Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I bet. It’s all there!” she said. Lyra quickly flipped through the magazine. “I swear...I mean, you? A fillyfooler? I almost didn’t believe it! And you clearly said that you're leaving Ponyville!”         The turquoise mare stopped flipping, only to stare, shocked, at her friend. “What?! I, me, wait...no! Don’t believe it!” She started again, and quickly reached page 65. She scanned the page. Various pictures and blocks of text scattered the page, revealing things about Lyra that the unicorn was quite sure she had never told anypony, least of all whoever it was that had written the article. Who was that anyway?         Just below the heading, in small text, read: text and pictures credit to Film Reel         Lyra grit her teeth. Film Reel had only asked her three questions, all of which she had answered with one-word responses! All of these quotations and answers were lies(excluding the thing about how she sometimes talked to her lyre; how did Film Reel know this stuff, anyway?)! Lyra could see what had upset her friend: quite a few times, Film Reel had made Lyra state outright that she was leaving Ponyville forever to be a star. And the pictures...most of them were from last night. However, there were one or two that showed Lyra out and about in different locations she recognized as being Ponyville.         She could deal with the pictures. She could deal with the slander. But what she couldn’t deal with was what was at the very bottom of the second page.         The question read: “Q: So, what can you tell us about the song you performed? Dedicated to anypony in particular?         “A: Oh, yes, definitely. You see, there’s this mare I work with; he name is Backbeat. She’s simply the sweetest, kindest, most caring mare I’ve ever met. And she’s not too hard to look at either, if you catch my drift. [laughs] But seriously, I love her more than you can even comprehend.”         There was more, but Lyra was too afraid of her teeth cracking apart from the strain to keep going. But what really got her goat was the picture next to it: Backbeat, staring, terrified, up into Film Reel’s camera. A small caption underneath said: “The sweetheart in question, spotted just a few blocks away from the Blue Note Cafe in downtown Canterlot.” Backbeat was not going to be happy when she saw that.         It was at that moment she heard the one sound she hated more than any other: Bon Bon crying. The earth pony had always been emotional, ever since they were foals. “Please,” Lyra said, edging closer to the crying mare, “you have to believe me! This story isn’t true!” Bon Bon sniffled. “Yeah, right...”         “No, really! I’m serious! Come on, you know Equestria Daily is just a dumb gossip rag!” Lyra insisted. She started desperately flipping through the magazine, looking for something to prove her point. “Uh...oh, here, look! ‘Culture Clash: Octavia and DJ PON-3 are Secret Lovers.’ There’s no way that’s true! Or, um...see, ‘Fancy Pants Makes Millions From Illegal Bootlegging Operation.’ Alcohol isn’t even illegal in Equestria!”         But the cream-colored mare simply shook her head. “I j-just want my f-friend back, Lyra...”         Lyra rubbed her temples. “Bon, you’re really stressing me out here...”         “I’m stressing you out? What about me? What am I supposed to do?!” Bon Bon cried out. Tears started flowing again, but she remained indignant. “Lyra, maybe you haven’t noticed, but I don’t have many friends back in Ponyville! You were pretty much the only pony I ever really talked to besides my employees!”         The unicorn didn’t know why, but for some reason, Bon Bon’s comment made her very angry. “So, what? Am I just supposed to look after you my entire life?” she asked. “You’re a grown mare, Bon Bon! Start acting your age!”         “Me? What about you?!” Bon Bon shot back. She was practically screaming at this point. “At least I have a job! I have a living! You...you just don’t! You constantly come to me begging for bits just so you can pay your bills!”         Lyra took a step back. “No, I don’t!”         “YES, YOU DO! And, and you know why? Because of stuff like this!” She gestured to the room around them. “You take all these random trips all over Equestria, and for what? A few bits and a chance at becoming ‘famous?’ Things don’t work that way, Lyra!”         “Maybe they don’t for you, but they will for me!”         “No they won’t! They never do! They didn’t when you lost all that money gambling to get Frederic concert tickets?”         “Hey, that was a-”         “Or how about when you went to that bar, got trashed, and beat up that stallion because he was ‘looking at you funny?’” Huh?”         “Would you just-”         “Or when you got freaking expelled from Princess Celestia’s School, and had nowhere to go? Huh? What...about...that.” Bon Bon slowed down, thinking for the first time about the things she had said, and the look Lyra was giving her. As if it were a defense mechanism, she started crying again. “L-Lyra, I’m sorry...”         Now Lyra was holding back tears of her own. “No, no, no...get out.”         “Huh? But, but, Lyra-”         “I SAID GET OUT!” Lyra shrieked, stamping her hooves. “Shut up, and get out! I’m gonna become a star, and there isn’t anything you can do about it! Now just go home and be lonely, you...you...UGH!” She turned away. The unicorn had thought that ranting like that would make her feel better; it didn’t.         “I...Lyra...w-we...” Bon Bon stammered. A few moments passed before Lyra heard the earth mare gallop, bawling, out of the room. The lone mare shuddered and started to cry herself, head hung low. (The song Backbeat/Lyra did was "Collide" by Howie Day.)