Somewhere in Appleloosa...
Fruit bats swarmed away from the apple tree at the sign of light, which came from Apple Stars’ lantern. Her baton-armed companion is Golden Harvest. Together, the two co-owns the orchard.
“Darn fruit bats again!” Apple Stars complained.
“No,” Golden Harvest insisted. “What I saw was no fruit bat.”
They continued searching through the darkness. Apple Stars signaled Golden Harvest to stop. She focused on the crunching sounds coming from one of the apple trees. Somepony was feasting on their hard-grown apples without permission.
“Looks like you’re right,” Apple Starts whispered to Golden Harvest. “We do have trespassers.”
They moved cautiously towards to the source of the sound. As they got closer, they could barely make out two pony figures huddled under the tree. Golden Harvest was poised to strike as Apple Stars shone her lantern at the figures. What they saw in the light almost made their souls jump out of their skin. What at first appeared to be hideous mud creatures are actually two scruffy mares, their skinny, dirtied bodies quivering from the night cold and starvation. They just kept on eating, ignoring the fruits’ owners.
Three months later...
The doctor showed Prince Umbra, Princess Luna and Twinkleshine into the ward. On the beds sat Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon. Twinkleshine almost cried when she saw them at their current condition. Her two friends, whom she had given up hope of seeing alive again, looked almost unrecognizable.
The Appleloosans have done all they could to nurse Lyra and Bon Bon back to health, physically and psychologically. Still, both mares looked underweight. Their mane has a greasy appearance, their colors have turned pale, and their faces are all wrinkly, resulting in them looking much older than their actual age. Despite Lyra and Bon Bon are supposed to be good friends with Twinkleshine, they showed no reaction to her presence.
***
Celestia was back to her former unicorn self as abdications meant she has to renounce her Alicorn powers as well. Being a librarian however is not so bad. The tranquility offered by her current workplace is a far cry from the hectic and stressful environment when she was the Princess of the Sunlight.
Her daily routines include keeping tracks of the books coming in and out of the library, update the inventory and membership records periodically and making sure visitors adhere to the library etiquette. And when the day is not too busy, she can keep up with her readings, something she never had much time for before. She used to be a bookworm back when she was younger. A trait she shared with Luna, Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer.
Today seemed to be another typical work day for the former princess. The library was filled with visitors as usual. She had just finished arranging the books on the shelves when she received a surprise visit by the current Princess of the Sunlight.
“Princess Sunset Shimmer, what brings you here?” Celestia greeted after bowing her head.
“We need to talk,” Sunset Shimmer told her, “in private.”
After Celestia led the princess into her office, the latter started explaining the situation in Appleloosa.
“From what I’ve heard, they were so traumatized from spending so much time in isolation they developed problems in interacting with ponies around them.”
“Why was I told of this only now?” Celestia asked, notably upset.
Even Luna who had visited her often, the most recent last week, did not mention to her about this.
Sunset Shimmer decided to be truthful. “Because Princess Luna advised you against coming to see them. Celestia, Lyra and Sweetie Drops lashed out at her at the mention of you. There’s no telling what they’ll do if they actually see you.”
“Then what?” Celestia said. “I should hide myself from them forever? Is that it?”
“I know how much you want to make it up to them,” the Alicorn Princess said understandably. “But please. Don’t do anything rash. Just wait at least until they make a full mental recovery. When that time arrives, be assured that Princess Luna and I will be at your side to give our full support.”
Celestia thought on it for second and finally agreed. Another time then.
For now, she should pray that the damaged done to the two mares are not too severe as it did to Derpy. Afterwards, Celesta and Sunset Shimmer hugged each other before parting ways.
Umbra waved goodbye to Luna on the departing train. The train will take the Equestrians over the border for a stopover in Ponyville before proceeding to Canterlot. Completed almost a year ago, the railways were meant to facilitate shipment of much needed goods to Ponyville from Canterlot and Appleloosa. And hopefully one day, may it help drive tourism to Ponyville once the town is fully rebuilt to what it once was.
Lyra and Bon Bon have been very quiet along the journey. The former gazed distantly out at the window. The latter just sat still, her eyes did not seem to focus on anything.
Maybe a conversation might help them to get back to their former selves, Twinkleshine thought, concerned on her friends’ abnormal behavior. “Hey, Lyra. Have anypony mentioned to you the story about Lord Watterson and Miss Dash?”
“I don’t care about all those stuffs, Twinkleshine,” Lyra replied indifferently without moving away her gaze.
“O-oh, sorry,” Twinkleshine apologized.
She tried not to take Lyra’s response to heart. The important thing now is to give her friend the psychological support in leading a normal life.
“Twinkleshine?” It is the first time Bon Bon spoke, or rather spoken to Twinkleshine.
“Y-yes?”
“Do they have sweets on this train?” the Earth pony suddenly looked uneasy in her seat. “I’ve asked the nurses but they won’t give me any.”
“No. But I have some. Please wait a second.” Twinkleshine took out a few sweets from her bag then offered it to Bon Bon.
Nova’s parents arrived a few days ago from a business trip in Ponyville. So they decided to stop over for a visit. Nova and Jet Set were at someplace else doing male stuffs, while Lightning Dust had to accompany Upper Crust. Tired from the clothes shopping, they stopped for a drink at Mulia’s Kitchen.
“Part of it had to do with his experience as he got a little older,” Upper Crust was saying on Nova's childhood. “He always came back home crying because the other students teased him about his appearance. He never thought he was any different from than any of the ponies until they told him he was.”
Lightning Dust always wondered why Nova never talked to her about his past.
“But on how’d he ended up moving to Canterlot?” she asked, eager to know more.
“One day, we found his bedroom empty and a letter saying he wants to find his self,” Upper Crust revealed. “Funny thing was we took it as meaning he wants to go to his own kind in the Changeling Kingdom so we scrambled to the ports to look for him. We didn’t know. At the time the Changeling Queen was visiting Equestria. He must’ve hopped on a freight train to Canterlot in order to meet her. Now we’re not sure what the queen said to him or how he ended up in the royal army. You’ll have to ask your superior. The dragon, I think?”
“A draconequss,” Lightning Dust corrected her.
“Oh, right,” Upper Crust acknowledged.
“You’re not…disappointed about him being in the army?” Lightning Dust was sure parent coming from a rich family would have preferred to see their children involved in professional work.
“Well, it’s really hard to say,” Upper Crust admitted, her feelings were definitely mixed. “It’s comforting to know he has finally found acceptance for what he is. But we never stopped hoping that one day he will return to Manehattan to help with the family business.”
Over at the next table, their conversation was incidentally heard by Minuette and Amethyst Star. They do not know Nova personally, just heard about him through Twinkleshine. His story has some reminiscence with Lyra’s situation. They along with Lyra, Twinkleshine and Bon Bon used to be a group of close friends, just like how the Element Bearers and the Mane Six are. That friendship however broke apart when Minuette and Amethyst Star found out about Lyra’s interest in Star Swirl’s human fairy tales.
They were disgusted by her eccentricity, and felt she was different because of it. Lyra resisted but never quarreled back. And so their advice turned to mocking and ridicule. That rings true to Twinkleshine as well. While the latter was still willing to talk to them albeit bitterly, Lyra in the other hand sort of drifted away. Eventually the two stopped caring about her. It only took the news of Lyra’s presumed death to shake them from their apathy.
Now that to great their relief Lyra and Bon Bon turned out to be still alive, all that is left is now to figure out how to make it up to her.
“Pinkie Pie, are you free later?” Minuette asked the waitress who came to take away empty glasses from their table.
“Yup, I had an afternoon shift today,” the Earth pony said cheerfully. “Why?”
Pinkie Pie revealed she has a secret basement under her house where she keeps various party supplies and detailed files on almost everypony in Canterlot on the kinds of parties they like. She called it her ‘Party Cave’.
“I think I have a file on Lyra somewhere…” she said while rummaging through the drawer.
“Ah hah! Found it!” She took out the file then showed it to Minuette.
“Now we need get it done before-” Minuette realized she neglected one little detail. “Amethyst, what time is the train supposed to arrive?”
Amethyst Star was not sure either. “Err… To…morrow?”
“Yeah, but what time?” Minuette repeated her question.
“I don’t know!” Amethyst Star confessed.
Minuette sighed. “There’s one pony we can ask.”
“Who?” Pinkie Pie and Amethyst Star asked in unison.
“Trixie,” Minuette answered.
“Not her!” Pinkie Pie gasped at the mention of her ‘rival’.
Actually there is no competition of any sort between Trixie and Pinkie Pie. It is just Pinkie Pie being…Pinkie Pie?
“A welcome back party?” Trixie felt a little appalled after hearing Minuette’s explanation. “Do you even know what condition Lyra and Sweetie Drops are currently in right now? What makes you think someone who’d barely recovered from trauma would be up for a party?”
Minuette and Amethyst Star suddenly felt themselves stupid.
“I feel your intention is good. But you have to think it through. Whatever it is that you’re going to do, make it subtle. Just enough to show that you care as a friend,” Trixie advised them.
“But what?” Minuette wondered.
Trixie noticed the file Pinkie Pie was holding. “I’m sure Pinkie Pie can help you with that.”
“What do we know about Lyra, besides…you know, that?” Minuette asked Amethyst Star and Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie read aloud Lyra’s file, “She loves and I emphasized on the word, love, party games, skating, parfait, orchestral music, fashions, Nightmare Night. Side note, if a party is held at her place, make sure to clean it up thoroughly afterward because she is a real neat freak.”
“Her house,” Minuette realized.
With that, Trixie wished the three ponies the best of luck with full sincerity before returning to the castle.
The train from Ponyville had finally arrived at Canterlot Central. Luna was greeted by Discord and Trixie. Bon Bon was having an emotional reunion with her parents. And Twinkleshine was given permission to accompany Lyra after she offered the latter to stay at her house.
“Can we stop by my house first?” Lyra asked. “I want to check out its condition.”
“You need rest,” Twinkleshine insisted.
But then Trixie came up to them with cryptic smile. “Actually, Lyra’s right. She should go check out her house.”
The last visitors to come here were Dash and Sunset Shimmer. At that time the entire house was dusty, moldy and home to spiders. Twinkleshine had planned to help Lyra clean this house before her friend moves in but right now it appeared that someone had done that already. Everything was sparkly clean. Not even a speck of dust was missed. Fragrant smell still hung in the air and the floor had yet to fully dry. Whoever cleaned the place must have taken all night to do it.
Shortly, Twinkleshine and Lyra unexpectedly found Minuette and Amethyst Star sleeping at the kitchen table. Both of them looked so exhausted. Placed at the corner are cleaning tools and detergents. Twinkleshine had no doubt that it was the work of these two, the same inconsiderate ponies who used to make fun of Lyra and her a lot in the past.
Lyra gently patted on Amethyst Star’s back, prompting the latter to wake up with a start.
“Aargh! I’m up! I’m up!”
Her voice caused Minuette to wake up from her sleep as well.
“Amethyst, what time is it?” she moaned, still half asleep.
After she rubbed her eyes, Minuette becomes fully awake. “L-Lyra!?”
Amethyst Star turned around. Like Minuette, she was very shocked to see Lyra’s appearance.
“Yeah.” That was all Lyra could say.
Tears streamed down from Minuette and Amethyst Star’s eyes, having realized their banishment on the moon was nothing compared to Lyra’s ordeal. They knelt before Lyra.
“We’re sorry! We’re sorry!” Amethyst Star sobbed. “For all the mean things we said to you before!”
Minuette was just as emotional. “When we heard you might’ve died… We don’t know why…it has to take that to make us realize…”
“Girls, please…” Lyra tried to get them to stand up, but they will not budge.
So she went on her knees as well, bringing Minuette and Amethyst Star close to her. “Girls, everything’s been forgotten. So please. Stop crying.”
Even with Lyra comforting them, they kept on crying. Twinkleshine just stood there, not saying a word.
So they do care about Lyra after all, she thought, just as a heart-warming feeling was flowing inside her.
***
“I’m glad you could make it,” Minuette greeted Bon Bon who had just arrived at Lyra’s house.
“Thanks for inviting me,” the Earth pony smiled.
Bon Bon still looked the same as she did last week but at least her condition was improving.
Minuette led her to the backyard where Pinkie Pie was serving barbequed foods on the long table.
“Oh, you are…?” Bon Bon was asking to know the Earth pony's name.
“Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie!” the latter introduced herself, with a wide cheerful smile. “Your best party planner in Equestria and the only one you’ll ever need! If you ever require my service, you’ll find me working at Mulia’s Kitchen.”
Abruptly she leaned close to Bon Bon, with a serious look on her and whispered, “Don’t tell Trixie. She’s jealous of me. And don’t tell Twinkleshine too, because she works under Trixie.”
“Err… Okay.” What a weird pony, Bon Bon thought.
Now that the foods are all served, everypony took their respective seats.
They all bow their heads, eyes closed, then on Lyra’s behalf, Twinkleshine recited the dinner prayer.
“In a world where so many are hungry, may we eat this food with humble hearts;
“In a world where so many are lonely, may we share this friendship with joyful hearts.
“Dear Motherly Goddess, we thank you…”