//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Ashley's New Life // by LostUmbrella //------------------------------// Lyra didn't knock, it was her room after all. When she opened the door she immediately found who she was searching for: in the middle of the room, fighting back the tears that flooded her gray reptilian eyes, sat a very sad changeling. She didn't really know what to do: she had expected to see an angry Ashley, not such a pitiful scene; yet she neared her sad friend, for she saw the ex-queen that way, and sat in front of her. "You have to forgive Vinyl: she's quite obnoxious and a bit dense, but she's really kind and caring," said the unicorn with a gentle smile. "While I certainly wanted to fling her in a wall, the real problem lies somewhere else: what pains me is how she was talking of my kin," explained the changeling with a heavy sigh. "Yeah, she goes hard with words sometimes..." "That's not what I meant," Ashley sighed again "While I'm not the birthmother of any of my subjects, well ex-subjects, I cannot help but see them as my children." "Ah, I knew it! You don't lay eggs, right?" asked Lyra jumping into standing on the two rear hooves and pointing at her very surprised friend. "No, why are you ponies so fixated with this idea? I find it seriously disturbing..." Lyra didn't answer but rushed out of the room. A couple of seconds later, the ex-queen heard the unicorn making fun of somepony (probably Bon-Bon) in a chanting tone: "I was right and you not!" "Sorry, I had some urgent business to tend to," explained Lyra chuckling as she returned. "Yeah, I heard..." said Ashley rolling her eyes "What was I saying? Ah, right! Since I see them as my children, hearing such joy in the tale of them being beaten up is really painful, and the hatred that you ponies show towards us pains me even more." "I'm sorry Ashley, but you have to understand that your kin has a really bad reputation after Canterlot, and it will be worse as soon as your attack to the empire gets to the press: you cannot expect to be well accepted or to hear kind words about your race," explained Lyra hugging her friend. "You did accept me though..." "Just give us a little time and behave, I'm sure that our races will warm up to each other someday." "I guess you're right, thank you Lyra." "Maybe can we try again with Vinyl sometimes?" asked the unicorn with a smile. "Yes, I think so" said the changeling with a nod "I guess she deserves my excuses too..." --- "I'm home Tavi," announced Vinyl entering her home. There was something missing in her marefriend's tone, so Octavia peeked out of the kitchen to see her standing in the hall, staring in empty space. "Vinyl, what's up?" asked the gray mare getting near to the unicorn. "Uh? Nothing, don't worry," lied the DJ pacing towards the stairs "I'll be in my study." "Vinyl Scratch, I want an explanation and I want it now!" ordered the black-maned mare with a stern tone. Vinyl could almost physically feel her marefriend's amethyst eyes boring two holes on the back of her head. "Fine, let's sit ok?" The two mares entered the living room and sat on the couch. It was covered in black fake leather, in striking contrast with the white paint on the wall and the pearl colored rug, on which stood an stylish black glass coffee table. "It's something that happened at Lyra's house," stated the unicorn "They're fine, the scream I heard was due to Ashen Sky's condition. She's Lyra's cousin, by the way." "So? I don't get it, what's the matter?" "Ashley, as they call her, coming here met a changeling and was in pretty bad condition as result of their fight; to raise her morale I told her about how you handled those vermin in Canterlot, but I think I upset her" concluded the white mare hanging her head low. "Vinyl, you don't have to worry: probably you just recalled her a bitter memory, it's nothing to fuss about!" said Octavia hugging her marefriend before trying to continue and being interrupted by a knock at the door "I'm sure we'll hear about her very - Who might this be?" While the DJ went to open the door, Octavia, who had been replaced by a changeling a pair of days before the whole attack on the empire, reflected on the interesting piece of news she had gained: queen Chrysalis had made herself clear that any changeling who could find her sister had to bring her back to the hive alive, and she had little doubts that this Ashley was the one she was ordered to find. And that's precisely what she meant to make sure of. "I hope you're free on Thursday Tavi, because we've got guests for dinner!" announced Vinyl as she returned, her usual grin back on her face. "What do you mean? Who was at the door?" asked 'Octavia' snapping back from her thoughts of the wonderful reward her queen would give her for fulfilling such an important task. "It was Ashen Sky, she came to excuse herself for how she acted before. To thank her for her kindness I invited the three of them for dinner," explained the unicorn. "Excellent." --- The following day began with another unforeseen event: when 'Ashen Sky' entered the kitchen to get something to eat, she was met with a bubbly-maned pink mare sitting at the table who said: "I knew you would be there: the author keeps on writing about this place..." Ashley only stood there, dumbfounded, and blinked. "Who are you? And what author?" she asked after a minute or so of silence. "Oh, right, we did never met! My name is Pinkie Pie, Ponyville premiere party maker!" said the mysterious mare jumping in front of her and shaking vigorously her right front hoof. "Uh, nice to meet you, I guess..." said the disguised changeling hesitantly "My name is Ashen Sky, I'm Lyra's cousin." "Ashley, who are y- Pinkie! What are you doing in my kitchen?" asked Bon-Bon entering the room. "Oh, Bonnie, fancy meting you here!" saluted cheerfully the pink baker waving a hoof. "Fancy meeting me here? Pinkie, I live here!" "Well, duh." "And what brings you here?" asked the cream colored mare massaging her forehead with a hoof to calm her growing headache. "Oh, to met her," she said pointing a forehoof towards 'Ashen Sky' "And to give you these!" she concluded presenting her three gray envelopes she had taken out of apparently nowhere. Bon-Bon opened one of said envelopes revealing a black card bearing silver writings: Hello, this is an informal (because being formal is booooooring) invitation to Ashley's welcome-to-Ponyville-we-wish-you-a-happy-stay-party at Sugarcube Corner this evening! Bring a friend (or maybe twenty two), we're waiting for you! "So, see you this evening!" said Pinkie before jumping out of a window. "What was that?" asked 'Ashen Sky', who was still trying to process Pinkie's first sentence. "She was just Pinkie Pie being herself, don't think too hard about it..." sighed Bon-Bon shaking her head.