Sugarcube Corner main room had been prepared for the party: the many tables that usually where at the customers' service were placed alongside the walls and covered in baked goods and punch bowls, except in the furthest corner from the door where stood a DJ booth, while the ceiling was adorned with streamers and balloons.
Judging from the number of ponies 'Ashen Sky' could see, a good number of invited heeded to Pinkie's suggestion to bring a friend or two.
"Attention everypony!" shouted the mind behind the party in a microphone "Our main guest has arrived, LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!"
At those words a chorus of cheers raised from her audience as Vinyl started the music.
"Hey Ashley, you've made it," cheerfully stated Pinkie Pie bouncing towards her "I want you to meet somepony."
"Uh, sure, why not?" said the ex-queen still confused on how the pink baker could prepare such a huge event with so little time.
And with that, the 'gray unicorn' forcefully met the whole population of Ponyville, sure that by the sunrise she would have forgotten almost every name thank to the pounding migraine she was starting to feel due to telling her fake story over and over again (and probably also thanks to Berry Punch's delicious punch, but a bit too alcoholic for the changeling tastes).
"And now, I want you to meet my super duper veryest bestes of friends!" said Pinkie Pie bouncing in front of a group of mares "From left to right: Rainbow Dash, Equestria best flier and Ponyville weather squad leader!"
"Hey there!" saluted said mare.
"Next to her, Applejack, owner of the yummiest apples in Equestria at Sweet Apple Acres!"
"Howdy!"
"The gorgeous mare in white is Rarity, according to lord Fancy Pants, the pony anypony should know - beside me of course!"
"Pleased to meet you, dear!"
"The one trying to hide behind my tail is Fluttershy, a real sweetheart!"
"H-hello?"
"And last but absolutely not least, princess Celestia's protégée and one of the most magical unicorns in Equestria, Twilight Sparkle!"
"It's a pleasure!"
While she had recognized the other four as those who left the train she caught, she froze realizing who the fifth was.
"T-the pleasure is mine, I'm Ashen Sky, Ashley for short," said the ex-queen in a tone that rivaled Fluttershy's.
Luckily for her, the five mares didn't seem to notice her slip, or did not mind it at last.
"Those are some nasty wounds, girl..." stated Applejack eyeing her extensive bandages.
"They are indeed dreadful, how did you get them?" asked Rarity in a concerned tone.
"If you don't mind us asking, of course..." added Fluttershy with a caring smile.
"Of course not, I already told the whole city," joked 'Ashen Sky' before cutting her tale short "I had a close encounter with a changeling while coming here."
"Oh my!" exclaimed in unison Rarity and Fluttershy, even if hearing the latter would have been a feat.
"Strange: I thought that all of them were in the empire..." commented Twilight tapping her chin "Where did you met it? I can tell the princess to send some guards to investigate."
"Oh, don't worry: she has probably already returned to the hive in the badlands..." said the gray mare waving a dismissive hoof.
"She's right: those sly vermin like to hide!" exclaimed the cyan pegasus.
"Rainbow, it isn't very nice what you said, even if it was the changeling that assaulted Ashen Sky!" chastised Fluttershy in a stern tone.
"Uhm, Pinkie, I'll steal our main guest for a moment," announced Twilight before turning towards Ashley and asking "Mind following me for a moment? I'd like to have a word with you in private."
"Uh, sure..." she replied shrugging before following the lavender mare.
---
Twilight led her 'fellow unicorn' outside the confectionery into the open road, then she turned and, pointing her horn at the disguised changeling, said: "Ok, who are you? And what are you searching here?"
"What do you mean? I'm Lyra's cousin!" replied the ex-queen in a fake offended tone.
"First, it's little known but Lyra has no cousins of sort, second, nopony knows the changeling hive location except the princesses and those whom they told, and last, distinguishing a changeling's sex is a hard task if it's not a queen, and you said 'she'," listed the librarian without breaking her stance "So, changeling, what's your mission?"
"Fine," sighed the other "You win Twilight."
Instantly, her horn was enchased in a sickly green aura and in a flash they were gone.
"Where are we?" demanded the lavender mare as they blinked into existence in a place she did not know.
"In Lyra's room, where I sleep," answered 'Ashen Sky' lighting a candle "I didn't want to cause a ruckus if somepony came out, don't you agree?"
"Drop your disguise, changeling!"
With a sigh, Ashley's body was engulfed in green flames revealing her real aspect.
For a brief moment, dread flashed in the librarian's stare.
"You! What are you doing here?" demanded the unicorn regaining her composure.
"Certainly not conquering Ponyville or whatever you're thinking, Twilight," replied the wounded mare in a tired tone as she sat on her haunches "I'm recovering from my wounds, thanks to Lyra's and Bon-Bon's hospitality."
"Sure, and I'm an alicorn..." commented sarcastically the unicorn.
"While mistrusting a changeling is generally a good idea, you have to admit that I have little else to do here: I'm wounded and alone, wanted by ponies and probably by my kin too, with little to no knowledge on where I am," said Ashley with a hint of disgust for her own pitiful state "What do you expect me to do?"
"Maybe you want revenge for your defeat in the empire?"
"If I really wanted revenge I would face my sister: she caused my downfall, not you." replied the changeling crocking an eyebrow.
"Then what you plan on doing once you recover?" asked Twilight sitting down in front of her.
"Travel: I want to see the world," she explained in a slightly dreamy tone "I want to visit Zebrica, the land of dragons and Haywaii, all those places I red of in my sister's books."
"Fine, you convinced me," said the lavender mare in a defeated tone "I won't expose you, but if you harm anypony you will met the princesses!"
"Thank you Twilight, your trust means a lot to me..." said the ex-queen with a soft smile.
"Another thing..." said the librarian raising a hoof to silence her.
"Yes?" asked the changeling, curious on what else the unicorn might want.
"I want to know EVERYTHING about your kin," said Twilight with her best puppy eyes, while a quill and a parchment materialized behind her.
Ashley simply gulped.