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// 22 - Royal Concerns 
// Story: It's OK to Be a Pony 
// by David Silver 
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Lyra walked nervously to the town hall. It wasn't often that she was called down there and the sudden arrival of the summon made her nervous. Had she not paid any of her taxes? She was fairly certain she was current. With a shake of her head, she trotted forward with determination, sparing a wave at Carrot Top on the way past her.

It was a clear day, though the weather schedule warned of rain in the evening. A moderate drenching, which made Lyra bring her umbrella, in case business went long. She ascended the stairs of the town hall, looking up to where a hole had once existed. "Glad that's fixed. It made the whole town look ugly."

She walked inside and saw a secretarial earth pony parked behind the desk. Lyra approached with a bright smile. "Heya! I was told to come down here?"

The pony looked at her with boredom a moment before she pulled over a sheaf of paper closer. "Name?"

"Lyra, Lyra Heartstrings?"

"Oh!" The pony perked up. "I remember you. You played that pretty instrument during the Summer Sun Celebration a few years ago, didn't you?"

Lyra smiled gently, pleased to find a fan. "I'm not playing music these days, but yes, that was me."

She extended a hoof. "Triplicate Fill, a pleasure to meet you in person, Miss Heartstrings." Lyra extended her own hoof and they met with a soft clop. "According to this, you're expected in room 106. Have a nice day." She sang the last part, seemingly shaken out of her funk with the arrival of a favored musician.

Lyra couldn't help herself and conjured her lyre, playing a few soft notes to Triplicate's obvious pleasure before she moved to meet with destiny, whatever that was. She pressed through a closed, but unlocked, door and entered a dark room, only for the door to shut with a click and the sound of a lock. It was then pitch dark.

She felt breath on an ear, "You are timely, we appreciate that."

Lyra leaped forward and span around, her heart beating wildly as she realized her attacker was Luna, the princess, and not some random mugger that had somehow gotten into town hall.

"We apologize if we alarmed you," said Luna as she gestured to a seat in the center of the room. "You have knowledge we would know, and there are warnings we must share. You are not in trouble, if that is what you fear."

Lyra moved towards the seat, trying to control her rapid pulse. "S-sure, no problem. I-I didn't d-d-do anything wrong, did I?"

Luna shook her head softly. "Neigh, you are innocent of any crime we are aware of. Please, be at ease. Pretend we are any other pony, of no importance."

More easily said than done, Lyra couldn't envision Luna as anything but Luna, ruler of Equestria alongside her sister. "Right... So how can I... help you?" She sank onto the chair, legs folded beneath her as she watched Luna with fear and awe.

Luna rolled a hoof. "The dream world has been visited by an increasing number of foreign minds. At first we feared invasion, but we have heard that they are lost ponies with wild claims, or would be wild... if not for the fact that we have seen their visions and memories."

Lyra sat forward, suddenly becoming much more aware of what Luna was likely speaking of. "The humans?"

Luna smiled brightly. "We were certain you knew of them! They are not supposed to come through the mirror. We have checked with Cadance, and she reports no disturbance. Pray tell, how are these humans arriving?"

Lyra held up a hoof. "A few things there, uh, your highness. First, none of the ones I talked to came through the mirror. Second, the mirror world is not their world. Third, we're increasingly certain their worlds are not all the same world."

Luna frowned sharply, an expression that worried Lyra. "That is most troubling. But it is little of your concern, save to see that the humans in your care are safe in both meanings of the word. Do not allow them to harm themselves or other ponies, yourself included."

Lyra shook her head. "Well, of course. I don't want to be hurt. I mean, most of them are pretty nice, just confused and lost. They miss their old bodies. I mean, so would I. I, er, visited the mirror world. I wouldn't want to go back unless I had to."

Luna leveled a hoof at Lyra. "If you are certain the mirror world is not theirs, do not let them go there. The damage of their travel should be minimized, and there is no reason to spread the harm to that world."

Lyra shrank a little. "I kinda went with one of them... They're back now?"

Luna snorted loudly, looking irritated. "We see. Well, it is good that they are returned. Did you see anything amiss about the other world while you visited?"

"Everything?"

Luna sighed and reached out, patting Lyra on the head. "We apologize. You are a musician and professional friend, not a dimensional scholar."

Lyra didn't really like the term 'professional friend' and made a little face. It sounded too much like a consort or other such thing, even if it wasn't inaccurate. She liked being a friend, just didn't like that title. "We didn't do too much, just looked mostly. She used a 'computer' to do some research, then we came back. It was a few hours at most."

Luna noded. "Then all is likely well, but do not repeat it. We feel an explanation is called for. The worlds are not static in the universe. A better analogy would be that our world is a large bubble, with some smaller bubbles that cling to it, those are the mirror worlds. They reflect much of our own world, like the mirrors they are named after. We float in the universe, usually peacefully, but when this happens, it means our bubble has brushed up against another large bubble. Your humans have come from that large bubble and its smaller mirror bubbles, landing on our large bubble. Do you understand?"

Lyra let the idea jiggle around in her head a moment, giving a hesitant nod. "Alright... So what should I do? How do we get them back? Can they get back?"

Luna held up a hoof. "These questions have not answers yet. If their bubble has moved on, they will remain here forever. If it still touches ours, we may yet get them home, but unless they came from the primary bubble, finding the exact mirror world of their own may prove impossible."

Lyra's expression turned to sorrow as she imagined most of her new friends came from the smaller worlds, and were truly stranded forever. "I don't want to tell them that. What are their chances?"

Luna tapped her chin. "If they all come from different worlds, then only one may be from the primary world, but there is an additional complication. We could not determine with 100% accuracy which of them is it. It may be kinder to simply not try to return them at all."

Lyra hopped to her hooves. "No! This should be their choice... If they find out we had a way to get to a place so close to home and we didn't even offer the chance? They would hate us... and I couldn't even blame them for it."

Luna reached out and gently brushed a few tears Lyra hadn't even realized she was dropping. "You are a good friend. They are twice fortunate to have you. We will inform you when we are ready to make the trip, if it remains possible. For now, treat them well, and keep them and everypony around them safe."

Lyra smiled a little before a question came to her. "Were you the one referring them all to me?"

"Not at first." Luna inclined her head faintly. "But word of your success has spread. Expect others, if they arrive. Do you feel you understand the humans?"

Lyra bobbed her head. "They're not that different from ponies, really. They prefer being dressed all the time if they can be, but they often get used to wearing their fur. They like meat, but it's not required, just a strong preference. So far as I can tell, they were omnivores. Like us, but closer to the carnivore side of the spectrum while we're on the herbivore side."

Luna clopped her fore-hooves together. "Excellent. We will consider you the standing expert in this new field then. If you can learn more, do so, but that is secondary to protecting them and Ponyville."