Lyra beamed as she trotted through the middle of Ponyville. The noontime sun warming her fur as she trotted down the street reminded her of just how wonderful of a day it was. The birds chirped their approval at the soft breeze, and her fellow ponies all seemed to have happy smiles on their faces as they went about the business. For her own part, Lyra’s own step had a happy spring to it that drew more than a few curious glances. Some smiled and chuckled at her, while others, knowing what a step like that meant, smiled warmly.
If Lyra had known, she might have been embarrassed and slowed her pace; at the moment though, she didn’t care. In her mind, she was recalling the first date she and Thunderlane had gone on. While he had said it was a lunch between friends, she saw his blush and knew he knew it was more than that.
When he asked her if she wanted to do it again, it took all of her willpower to keep from squealing in joy like a filly.
Since then, they’ve gone on a few more lunches and even a stroll together. Remembering them brought a smile to her face, which only grew as she thought of the nice dinner they would have later on that night. Ponyville might not have had the luxurious eateries like Canterlot had, but she didn’t really mind. Maybe on later dates they could—
She shook her head to clear those thoughts. ‘One thing at a time, Lyra, one thing at a time,’ she told herself as she walked down the path towards the park in Ponyville.
Her thoughts drifted again as she walked. She thought of Thunderlane again, but her thoughts also drifted to new song that had been bouncing around her brain. It was a song that she had only recently been inspired to write. She wasn’t exactly sure where it had come from, but one day, it appeared out of nowhere and it had stuck ever since.
The nights when she practiced the song, she felt… different. Most of her other songs were outlets for when she was having a bad day, or when she wanted to cry. This new song though… she couldn’t put it to words.
“Lyra! Over here!”
Her eyes widened as she was brought back to reality and saw that she had made her way to the central fountain in the park. She shook the last webs of her thoughts away, and waved back to Bon Bon as the earth pony greeted her.
“Hello, Bon Bon, how’re you doing today?” Lyra asked as she walked up to the bench that Bon Bon was lying across.
Bon Bon’s smile almost reached as wide as Pinkie’s typically did as she spoke. “I’m so excited! Caramel agreed to go with me to Canterlot to do some shopping. Not just to buy supplies for the store, but to also help me find something to wear when we go to watch the talent show.”
Lyra tilted her head curiously. “Talent show?”
Bon Bon rolled her eyes and sighed. “Lyra, you really need to get out more.” She chuckled as Lyra tried to sputter an objection. “The talent show that Ponyville is going to host in a week. The Ponytones are going to make a guest appearance after the winner is announced.”
Lyra finally smiled as she sat on the bench next to her friend, leaning against the back of it. “I guess it wouldn’t be fair if the Ponytones were in the competition.”
When Bon Bon didn’t respond she turned her head to find her friend looking at her oddly. “What?”
“How do you feel comfortable sitting like that?”
Lyra looked down as her back rested against the bench and her lower hooves touched the ground. “What? I’m not slouching am I?”
Bon Bon shook her head. “Forget it, Lyra.” The earth pony dug around in a bag before she found a bottle of water. “So what’s new with you? Catching up on your reading?”
There was nothing Lyra could’ve done to keep the smile from appearing instantly. “Oh, nothing…”
Bon Bon eyes narrowed to slits. “Lyra, you’re lying to me again! Out with it, what’s going on?”
She averted her gaze, her smile turning sly. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”
Her friend huffed, her tail swishing in annoyance. “Fine then. Don’t tell me. See if I care.” She lifted her water bottle and took deep drink.
“I’m seeing somepony,” Lyras said so quickly that it came out almost like a sneeze.
Lyra privately admitted that saying that while Bon Bon was drinking wasn’t the best of ideas, but it was funny to see her spit out her drink across the grass.
Bon Bon coughed and sputtered before she got her breath back. “You what? Who? Who is it!”
Lyra finally got her giggles under control and gave her friend a teasing smile. “I’m not telling.”
The way her friend’s eyes widened in outrage brought about another fit of giggles to the unicorn. “Lyra!”
“What?” she managed between chuckles.
“Tell me!”
“No.”
Bon Bon grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close to look her directly in the face. “Lyra, I’ve been waiting ages for you to tell me that you have a special somepony, and you’re not going to tell me who!? Out with it! Now!”
She shook her head. “Nuh uh.”
Bon Bon shook her a bit. “Tell me!
“Nope.”
Bon Bon pressed her nose into Lyra’s. “Lyra,” she growled almost threateningly.
Lyra turned her nose up. “Not happening.”
“Teellllll meeeeeeeee!” Bon Bon shook her so hard that she felt her eyes swimming in her head, but she remained steadfast in her refusal to talk.
Finally, Bon Bon let her go and slumped as if all the energy had be sapped out of her. “Can’t you at least give me a little hint?” she pleaded in a tiny voice.
Lyra tapped a hoof to her chin. “I don’t knooooooowwwww…”
The look her friend gave her would rival a filly asking her parents for a new toy in its cuteness. “Please?”
Laughing that she finally had something over her friend, she relented. “He’s lives here in Ponyville.”
If Bon Bon could have incinerated her with a glare, Lyra admitted she would have been a pile of ash by now. “Lyra!”
Lyra’s mane bounced as she shook her head. “I’m not telling.”
Bon Bon huffed and crossed her forelegs in a pout. “I didn’t think you’d be so cruel, not telling me who your special somepony is.”
Lyra laughed and wrapped her friend in a hug. “It’s payback for all those times you teased me about you and Caramel.”
Her friend tried, but ultimately failed to keep her smile from growing. “I suppose that’s fair,” she muttered before returning the hug. “I’m just glad you finally found someone.” They sat back on the benches comfortably. “Can’t you tell me anything? Just a little something more than he’s just from Ponyville?”
A sly grin grew on Lyra’s muzzle again. “Nope.”
“Worth a shot,” Bon Bon snorted.
“Was that you two yelling a moment ago?” they heard a voice say. The turned in time to see Blossomforth trot across the grass towards them.
“Hey there, Blossomforth,” Lyra greeted her friend with a wave. “And yes, it was us.” She turned a sly grin at Bon Bon. “Well, one of us anyway.”
Blossomforth looked between them as Lyra kept smiling to Bon Bon’s scathing glare. “Soo… what happened?”
“I—”
“She has a special somepony and she’s not telling me who!” Bon Bon cut Lyra off while pointing an accusatory hoof at her.
Lyra snorted, trying to keep her laughter in when Blossomforth’s jaw almost hit the ground. “Wait, what?” the pegasus managed to stutter.
“Yep.” Lyra’s face was beginning to ache from all the smiles she was having at her friend’s reactions.
“B-B-B-B-But, when did this happen?” Blossomforth slumped to her haunches, her ears pinning back. “How did you get a special somepony before me? This isn’t fair!”
“I just got lucky. That’s all,” Lyra said, running a hoof through her mane.
“Lucky my hoof,” Blossomforth said, she stood and took a seat on the other side of Lyra. “So who’s the lucky stallion? You can tell us.”
Lyra stubbornly shook her head. “Nuh uh, I ain’t telling.”
Blossomforth gave her the cute, watery-eyes routine. “You would keep something like this from your best friends? What sort of friend are you?”
Lyra turned up her nose. “The type of friend who is enjoying this too much to spoil it.”
She slumped a bit as she found herself between two mares that were glaring fiercely at her. “Uh, I promise I’ll tell. Just not yet.”
The two huffed and stood straighter. “Pinkie Promise!” Bon Bon made it sound more like a demand than a question.
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Lyra repeated the saying while doing the motions. The three looked around for a moment, expecting a certain pink pony to appear suddenly, but breathed easily when she didn’t.
“We’ll hold you to that, Lyra,” Bon Bon said as she resettled on the bench. “Once we find out who, the return teasing will be soooo worth it.”
Lyra gulped at the mischievous look Bon Bon gave her. Maybe she did take the teasing a tad too far.
“It totally will,” Blossomforth said before she removed a bag lunch from her saddlebag. She dug out a wrapped sandwich and took a healthy bite.
“Are you on your lunch break?” Lyra asked her.
She nodded and gulped down her food. “Yeah, Rainbow Dash has us on watch patrol for storms out of the Everfree. After the last one, she doesn’t want any more nasty surprises.”
Lyra nodded and rested her head back to enjoy the breeze that blew through, the smell of flowers and grass was so pleasant. She glanced to the side to see a piece of paper sticking out of Blossomforth’s lunch box.
She pointed to the folded piece of paper. “What’s that?”
The pegasus looked at her lunch box and shrugged. “That’s the work schedule. Let’s us know who works when.”
Lyra’s eyes sparkled, though it took effort to keep the smile from her face. “May I see it?”
Blossomforth raised an eyebrow at her. “What for?”
“Uh, well…” She rubbed at the back of her head, a faint blush creeping on her face. “So I can know when you work, yeah. That way I can plan something for us all to do together when you’re off of work.”
Blossomforth’s suspicious glare didn’t lessen but finally she shrugged. “All right, go ahead.”
Lyra started to levitate the paper but Blossomforth slapped a hoof over the lid of her box. “If you tell us who he is.”
Lyra’s eyes widened. “That’s not fair, Blossomforth!”
“Neither is not telling us who your special somepony is!” Blossomforth pointed a hoof her way. “Tell us who, and I’ll let you see it.”
Lyra stubbornly shook her head. “Uh uh, not doing it.”
The pegasus snorted, turning her nose up. “Fine then, you don’t need to see the schedule.”
Lyra bit at her lip before her eyes suddenly widened, a mischievous smirk crossing her face. “Well, I was going to plan a girl’s day trip to Canterlot, but if you’re not going to let me know when you’re off…”
The other two narrowed their eyes at her before Bon Bon leaned over to look at Blossomforth. “She fights mean.”
“Who knew she had it in her?” Blossomforth said with a sigh.
She looked between them, her gaze lowering to the ground. “I’m not trying to be mean, just…”
The two chuckled warmly at her. “We know, Lyra, we’re just teasing you back,” Bon Bon said.
“Yeah, we know you’ll slip sometime and we’ll find out.” Blossomforth reached into her lunch box and handed the paper over. “You have lunch when we go to Canterlot though.”
Lyra’s smile grew wide despite hearing she would likely be having to pay for an expensive lunch in the city in the near future. “Okay,” she said as she quickly scanned the paper for a certain name.
‘Oh good. He’s off Wednesday next week, we can go to the talent show together,’ she thought as she looked over the list. ‘Maybe then I can let them know.’
A smile played across her face as she levitated the schedule back to Blossomforth. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” she said as she finished her lunch and put the stuff back in her box.
The three sat at the bench and shared gossip for a time. Each one chuckling at some little tidbit that they found humorous, or commenting on any of the latest developments around Equestria they had heard about. It was mid-afternoon when Lyra took notice of the sun’s position as it started to lower.
“I better get going. I need to buy something fresh for dinner tonight,” she said as she hopped off the bench. She suddenly hissed in pain and clutched at her back leg. “Ow, owowowow, leg cramp!” She wiggled her leg, trying to bring life back to the sleeping limb.
Her friends laughed uproariously, tears of mirth forming around their eyes.
“Oh, that is so typically you, Lyra,” Bon Bon said as she wiped at her eyes, still trying to get her giggles under control.
“It’s what she gets for keeping secrets from us,” Blossomforth said, as she finished coughing out a laugh.
Lyra lowered her ears, a flush creeping on her face. “That’s not funny, you two,” she said as she gingerly lowered her leg to the ground.
The two chuckled again and Lyra swished her tail in embarrassment. “I’m leaving,” she said. She hadn’t gone more than a few steps when her thoughts returned to her plans for the evening.
“Lyra!”
She turned back with an annoyed frown. “What?”
“You’re skipping again,” Bon Bon told her with a wide smile.
The flush returned to Lyra’s face in force. “Oh…” She lowered her head and trotted off again.
Her two friends watched her leave. She hadn’t gone far before the unicorn started skipping once more.
“Ohh, she’s got it bad,” Bon Bon said, as she watched the unicorn disappear over the hill.
“Really bad.” Blossomforth nodded before she spoke again. “Any idea on who it could be?”
Bon Bon shook her head. “Not a clue, she was being stubborn about not telling us.”
A wicked grin crossed Blossomforth’s face. “You know what this means?”
Bon Bon’s grin easily matched her’s. “A stakeout?”
“A stakeout.”
Bon Bon frowned suddenly. “I can’t tonight though. I’m doing something with Caramel, so I can’t.”
Blossomforth waved her away. “Don’t worry, I’ll watch her tonight.”
“You’ll tell me if you find out who, right?”
Blossomforth grinned evilly again. “You’ll be the first to know.”
-0-
The sleepy town of Ponyville moved underneath Thunderlane as he glided through the air. Most of the ponies didn’t even register his passing, though the few that did gave him a friendly wave as he flew overhead.
He made sure to keep an easy glide up so not to muss up his mane that was freshly brushed out and still moist from his shower. His coat was brushed and all the usual snags combed out for a change. No point going to a dinner date looking like a slouch, he told himself.
He brought up a hoof and puffed into it, taking a quick sniff. Smiling at the lack of odor, he flapped his wings to pick up his speed a bit. If not looking—or smelling—like a slouch was important, so was arriving on time.
Tonight was their big dinner date, he reminded himself. The night that not only was he going to enjoy a dinner with Lyra and her incredible cooking, but it was going to be the night he asked her to play her lyre for him.
Ever since their first meeting, he had hoped to coax her into playing again. The melodies she played still drifted in the back of his mind, and he was going to take the chance as ask her to play for him. He imagined hearing the music playing again, and her expression as she played, all of it just as amazing as he remembered. Maybe if he got lucky he could earn a ki—
He shook his head to clear the thought. “Let’s see how the night goes first, before we get too hopeful,” he said to himself.
Still, he couldn’t help but smile as his mind played out the rest of that thought.
As her home came within sight, he tilted a bit and turned for the house. He flapped his wings a few times as he eased into a landing. With a quick look towards the sun he saw that he was right on time. With a deep breath, he lifted his hoof to knock on the door.
“Just a minute!” he heard her call, and he felt his smile grow at the excitement of her tone. There came the sound of a thud followed by a quick yelp from behind the door. When the door glowed with Lyra’s aura and opened, he caught the unicorn rubbing at a front knee.
“Are you alright?” he asked with a tilt of his head.
She stretched the leg and gave him a sheepish look. “I… bumped my knee when I ran for the door.”
He choked back a snicker, but smiled anyway. “Want me to look at it?”
Her blush grew even brighter. “I-I’m alright, really I am.”
A chuckle escaped him as he took a better look at her. Her mane was brushed and styled, and her coat almost shined in the evening light. It was her eyes though, that stole his breath. True she put a bit of eyeliner on, but those golden irises seemed to draw him in. He could see the nervousness in them and he swore to ease it as fast as he could.
He shifted a bit as she also stared at him in much the same way. “Well, can I come in?”
Her eyes widened and she quickly stepped out of the way, inviting him in. “Sorry, sorry.”
He stretched his wings a moment before settling them on his side. Her home had been cleaned spotlessly and the smell that waifed from the kitchen sent his stomach to growling.
“That smells fantastic,” he said, wiping at his muzzle to keep the drool from escaping. “What’s for dinner anyway?”
A sly smile crossed her face. “You’ll find out once it’s done. I don’t want to ruin the surprise.”
He gave her a nod as she managed to get past part of her nervousness. “If it’s anything like the first time I ate here, I bet it’ll be good. I’ll stuff myself again.”
An eager gleam glinted in her eyes. “You’ll love it.” She looked towards the kitchen. “Go take a seat in the living room. I’ll join you after I turn the hay strips.”
He looked at her with a sly grin. “What about ruining the surprise?”
Her eyes widened and she slapped a hoof to her forehead. “Ohh…”
A warm laughed escaped him. “Don’t worry.”
She muttered something and ran for the kitchen. He shook his head at her; that innocence of hers was one of the things he enjoyed. It was cute in its own way, he thought.
He took a seat on the couch in the living room, and looked at the hanging pictures on the walls. Most of them were of Lyra or Bon Bon, though he saw a few with Blossomforth as well. He saw a family photo and got up to look it over. He saw a young Lyra sitting in front of her parents, all three of them smiling wide for the photo.
“Do your parents live here in Ponyville too?” he asked as she joined him in the living room.
She looked at the photo he was holding and a faint smile crossed her face. “They live in Canterlot. Dad owns a store there that Mom helps him run. They do pretty well for themselves, even without me.”
He nodded and didn’t ask further. He sat on the couch and soon found himself joined by her. She looked at him for a moment before speaking. “Are you working next Wednesday?”
He frowned faintly, trying to remember his schedule. “No, I think I am off.” He looked at her. “Why? Do you have something in mind?”
She nodded. “I was… going to go watch the talent show, and I wanted to ask you if you’d go with me?”
A smile spread across his face. “I’d love to go. I didn’t have anything planned, but an evening with you sounds like a much better idea than sitting at home.”
The way she blushed, he knew he did right. “Great!” she clopped her hooves together. “I’ll introduce you to my friends. They are dying to meet you.”
The both stopped to sniff the air. “Hmm? What is that?”
Lyra’s eyes widened and she gave a high pitched ‘eek’ of surprise and dashed back into the kitchen. He followed her out of curiosity and found her desperately batting at a pan that had a small flame going. When she got the flame out she checked the food over and sighed in relief.
“Saved it.”
He chuckled from the doorway. “I didn’t know you could cook fancy? I’ve never had flambé before.”
Her face took on a bright, cherry-red hue as she averted her eyes. “It wasn’t supposed to do that…”
His laughter grew louder. “I was just joking. It’ll taste good even if it’s a little fried.” When she didn’t look back at him, he rubbed at the back of his head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh.”
Her mane swished as she shook her head. “No, it’s not you. Just…” She stood straighter, a firm look on her face. “Out. So I can finish cooking.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
Again she shook her head. “No, this is the dinner I was going to make for us. You just get to enjoy it when it’s done. Now out.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said as he turned away for the living room.
As he rested on the couch again, he could hear her bustling in the kitchen. Metal clanked and food hissed as it was cooked; the longer it went on, the more his stomach growled. The waiting was just torture on his empty gut. He looked around for something to take his mind off his hunger pangs.
His eyes settled on a novel that was face down on a table and he reached over to pick it up. He scanned the cover.
‘Hinney of the Hills?’ he thought as he flipped to the front page. After reading a bit, he skipped ahead to another part and scrunched up his face. ‘Boy, this is awful sappy. Does she actually like reading things like this?’
“Okay, it’s ready!”
He was quickly on his hooves at her call, the sappy book dropped to the floor completely forgotten.
When he walked into the kitchen, he took one look at the table and his jaw dropped, a line of drool escaped through the corner of his mouth.
“I hope you’re hungry,” she said as she levitated a pair of forks from a drawer. “I made us grilled hay strips, fried cattail tubers, and a chopped cattail leaf and dandelion salad.” Her smile took on a nervous turn. “I hope it is all right with you.”
Finally realizing that he was drooling, he wiped at the corner of his mouth. “It. Looks. Delicious!” His smile turned wide and eager. “When can we eat?”
She sat down at her chair and giggled a bit at his foal-like tone. “As soon as you sit.”
Not having to be told twice, he eagerly dove into his meal.
-0-
Thunderlane never felt so contently full in his life. He probably ate far more than he should have, and his once grumbling gut was now telling him pointedly that he had overdone it, but the food was so darn good, he couldn’t help himself. He leaned against the back of the couch to give his belly a bit more breathing space.
A content sigh escaped him as Lyra joined him on the couch. “Ahh, I don’t think I’ve eaten that much in a long time.”
She giggled and sat against couch herself, her own belly bulging from the recent meal. “I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I put a lot of eff—” a small belch escaped her. Her face turned red again and she lowered her eyes. “Excuse me.”
A warm chuckle escaped him—even her burps were cute. “When it’s good, it’s good. And it was good.”
Her smile spread across her face and her blush faded. “Thank you.” She shifted on the couch, unintentionally getting closer to him. “So what have you done lately, Thunderlane?”
The two spent the next few hours chatting about their week and about random other topics of conversation. Through their talking, they would chuckle or outright laugh at certain parts of their telling. For Thunderlane, he didn’t even register the passing of time. Sitting and talking with Lyra just felt right, and he found himself scooting closer to her as they talked. He saw that Lyra didn’t mind in the slightest as he got closer, and she herself seemed to draw nearer to him when he wasn’t looking.
Finally, as night had settled outside, he felt it was time to take a risk. “Lyra?”
She turned a curious gaze to him. “Hmm?”
“Can… I ask you something?”
The shaking he felt, he wasn’t sure if it was him doing it, or her as she seemed to stiffen up. “Y-Yes?”
He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I wanted to ask you this for a while but…”
She leaned forward, her irises shrinking a bit in anticipation. “Yes?”
“Can you…” He paused to look at her fully in the eye. “Play your lyre for me?”
Her head snapped back in surprise, her eyes blinking a few times. “What?”
His own blush crept across his face. “I was asking if you’d play your lyre for me. I… really liked hearing you play long ago, and I’d love to hear you again.”
She stared at him for a moment before she lowered her eyes and looked to the side. “I… don’t really play for other ponies to hear. It’s… a personal thing.”
He tilted his head at her. “Why though? Your playing is the best I’ve ever heard. Somepony that good shouldn’t hide their talents from others. I can’t even begin to imagine being able to play as good as you.”
Again, her blush shown through her mint coat. “I just… don’t like playing in front of other ponies.”
His head tilted in an understanding nod. “Stage fright, huh?”
She nodded quietly, still not looking at him.
“Hey,” he said softly, trying to cheer her up. “You don’t have anything to worry about. I know for a fact your music is the best I’ve heard. I wouldn’t lie to you.”
Her gaze sheepishly rose to meet his. “You wouldn’t?”
He gave an affirmative nod. “I won’t lie to you, ever. I promise.”
She lowered her gaze again and spoke quietly. “You promise you won’t laugh at me?”
“I Pinkie Promise, I won’t.” He leaned forward a bit after making the binding motions of the promise. “Will you play a song for me?”
After a silent moment, she lifted her head. “I… Yes, I will.”
A smile erupted across his face. “Sweet! You’re the best, Lyra.”
A soft smile crossed her face as she stood up from the couch. “Wait here,” she said as she walked for her bedroom.
He listened as he heard a few things move around in her room, followed by hesitant steps. Finally she emerged, carrying the case in her magic beside her. He shifted to a more comfortable position on the couch and watched as she undid the latches on her case.
She looked over at him for a moment. “Remember your promise.”
“I promise I won’t laugh,” he repeated with a firm nod.
Taking in a breath, she levitated her golden lyre from its case. Walking towards a chair, she sat down to tune the instrument. She plucked the strings carefully until they made just the sound she wanted.
“I’m surprised you don’t play using your magic,” he said. “Don’t most unicorn musicians play using their magic?
“They do,” she said, tuning the last string. “But there is something about playing with my hooves that… I can’t describe. It just feels… right.”
He nodded quickly and settled back onto the couch, an eager smile playing across his face.
She plucked the strings a few times more before one made a weird noise and broke from the lyre. An embarrassed blush came over her face as she looked at him quickly. “Sorry…”
Resisting the urge to chuckle took more effort than he expected. “It’s all right. Happens to everypony at one point, right?”
She chuckled a bit and nodded. “Yeah.” A replacement string levitated from the case and she quickly replaced the broken string. Finding the tuning to her liking, she took in a breath and gave them a strum. She quickly looked at him for a reaction, but he kept still—waiting patiently for her to play.
Realizing that he wasn’t judging her, she began to play the song he had first heard her play that night he found her at the watering hole. He sat watching her play, her eyes half lidded as she allowed the music to flow out of her through her instrument. The lyre acting as a conduit to the emotion of the song she played. As he sat there, his eyes were drawn to her face. The soft smile, the distant eyes, all combined with the haunting music she played let his heart soar. He felt happy, relieved, free and so many other emotions that he couldn’t put words to as the song tugged at his heartstrings.
As the song came to a conclusion, he had to wipe the tears that had formed away. He might have been a stallion, and not ashamed to cry, but not while on a date with a lovely mare like her. He clapped his hooves together. “That was… fantastic, Lyra.”
An embarrassed, but warm, smile played across her face as she lowered her eyes. “I… wasn’t that good.”
He shook his head. “Lyra, you’ve got to stop putting yourself down. You are amazing!”
She looked up slowly at him. “You mean it?”
“I told you, I don’t lie. When I say something I really mean it. If I say you’re amazing, you really are.” He scooted on the couch to sit closer to her. “You have an amazing gift, why do you hide it? You would be better than all of the musicians in Canterlot, I bet.”
She shook her head, her ears laying back. “Now I know you’re lying to me. I’m not that good. I just play for fun.”
He pointed a hoof at her. “That’s why you’re so good. You do it for fun, not money. That’s what separates you from them.”
“You… really think so?”
“I know so,” he said with a firm nod. “I’d be willing to bet if you entered the talent show, you’d win hooves down!”
He didn’t think it possible for a pony to shake their head so fast, but she definitely proved him wrong. “No! Oh no no no! I couldn’t! They would all laugh at me. I couldn’t show my face in town ever again.” Her eyes were wide in panic, and he was for sure he was going to have to grab her to keep her from running.
“Whoa! Whoa! Lyra, calm down. Nopony would laugh at you.” He held his hooves up, trying to calm her down.
“I would be so embarrassed, I couldn’t play in front of a crowd! I just couldn’t!”
As her breathing became more rapid, he did the first thing that came to mind. He rested both forelegs on her shoulders and held her firmly. “Lyra.”
She looked up into his eyes, and he could see the panic still there.
“You will be fine,” he said calmly.
“But I—”
“Lyra—” he leaned in closer. “You. Will. Be. Fine.”
She struggled a bit more before he pulled her into an embrace. He felt her stiffened up a bit, but then sag into him. She shivered a bit as he held her tightly. “You would be fine. I know you would.”
She pushed him away gently and looked up to him. “You… really mean it?”
He saw the hope in her expression and he gave her a warm, confident smile. “I mean it. I’d be willing to bet money that everypony would love you. You’re just that good.” He tilted his head a bit. “I know I do.”
Her eyes widened a bit. “You mean that?”
“I mean every word.” He nodded once. “If you enter the talent show, Lyra, I promise that it will work out better than you can hope.”
She lowered her head, staring at her hooves. He let her think it out for a time, but when she didn’t respond he tried to say something before she cut him off.
“Would-Would you be there… To watch me?” She lifted her eyes back to him, carrying a silent plea with them.
“I would be there front, line and center. Cheering you on.”
She lowered her gaze again before speaking softly.
His ears flickered, and he furrowed his brow. “What’d you say?”
“I’ll… do it,” she said louder, looking back at him. “If you’re there to watch me.”
His wide smile would have rivaled one of Pinkie’s. “I swear by Celestia and Luna that I will be there for you, Lyra. You have my promise.”
She smiled and pulled him back into a tight hug. “Thank you…”
He turned his nose to nuzzle her mane. “You’re welcome… I know you can do it, Lyra.”
They both turned their heads as a clock nearby started to ding the time. It gave twelve quick chimes before going quiet again.
“Midnight already?” he said, unable to keep the disappointment from his tone. He sighed in defeat. “I need to be heading home. I have to work early in the morning.”
She nodded as she stepped away from him. “I wish… you didn’t have to go.”
“So do I. I really do.” He sighed again. “But Rainbow Dash would kick my flank to next week if I show up late for work again.”
A quick giggle escaped her, and she covered her face to stop it. “I’m sorry. I just imagined that and I couldn’t keep from laughing.”
He shrugged grandly. “She would too. I have the marks to prove it,” he said with aplomb.
Her eyes widened. “Does she really hit you?”
“Only when I deserve it…” he muttered.
The two walked for the door and he turned the knob. When the door opened he was greeted with the cool night air, and he felt his fur stand on end suddenly. He turned back to the mare. “Lyra, I had a great time. The food was good, the music better and the company… the best.”
She smiled warmly, not yet moving from her door frame. “I had a great time too, Thunderlane. It was… a great night.”
He thought to turn away, but something kept him from leaving. Something didn’t feel right, something… left undone.
“Lyra…”
She turned back to face him. “Hmm?”
That was all she managed before he pressed his lips against hers. She stiffened as still as stone, her eyes wide for a second before she melted into that kiss. When she pressed back, he tentatively prodded her lips with his tongue, quietly asking for permission. She hesitantly complied and he wasted no time in darting his tongue into her mouth. Her own tongue soon exploring his mouth as well. The two shared the passionate kiss for a time before the necessity of air broke them apart.
The two stood there for a breathless moment, before he stood straighter and gave her a warm smile. “I’ll see you again soon?”
Unable to answer, she instead bobbed her head quickly, the warmth still apparent on her cheeks.
He chuckled a bit and flared his wings. “Goodnight, Lyra.”
“Goodnight… Thunderlane,” she said quietly.
As he took to the sky and back towards his home. He suddenly burst into flips and loops in the air, cheering in victory. Now the night had ended on a perfect note.
-0-
As Lyra watched him fly away, her hoof drifted towards her muzzle. She stared at the sky for a long moment before stepping inside her home and closing the door. The moment it was closed, she leaned against the door and sagged to the floor.
“My first kiss…” She touched her lips again, and shivered in delight. It had been everything she ever dreamed of and more. This warm feeling it gave her, she felt like she could stand up to the world. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t do.
Even enter a talent show.
She didn’t let that reminder take away from the moment. Instead, she collect her lyre and soon put out all the lights to her home. She crawled into bed and snuggled under her blankets. She nuzzled her pillow and gave a content sigh.
“Thunderlane…” she uttered softly before sleep took her.
-0-
Unbeknownst to the two, a set of eyes had been watching them from the shadows of a tree. Those eyes now were filled with sadness, tears flowing freely from them. Blossomforth’s face dripped tears down through the branches as she sat, staring at Lyra’s front door. She kept whispering denials under her breath, trying to deny what she had just seen.
Her friend, her best friend, was dating the pony she had been working so hard to attract for so long. Now, after watching that kiss, she knew he was beyond her reach. There wasn’t anything that was going to change that kind of affection. She saw his expression, it was hopeless.
What had she done wrong? Why did he not notice her after all these months? The quiet flirting, the inviting him to lunches and things, all the little questions. Were they not good enough? Why did he ignore her and, and how had he wound up in the forelegs of Lyra? How did this happen? Why did it happen?
As the lights went out in Lyra’s home, those eyes of sadness turned to spite. A sneering scowl snaked it’s way across her face, as she glared at the bedroom of the home.
“You… how could you? How could you do this to me, Lyra? You were my friend… Why?”
With a badly contained sob that shared both loss and anger, the pegasus leapt from the tree and flew with all speed for her home. Her crying hadn’t stopped by the time the sun rose the next morning. Only now, the tears carried with them the bitterness of anger—and the seed of jealousy.