Lyra settled in her chair comfortably as she looked over her newest client/patient. She was rich, powerful, and extremely famous. She could have Lyra thrown in a jail never to be seen again, or have her office burned to the ground if she wanted to, but both of those were terribly unlikely. "Hi Twilight."
Twilight smiled in response to Lyra's greeting, but glanced around nervously. "I never really saw a... you know?"
Lyra shook her head. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with seeing a friend, and asking for a few opinions. You're the princess of friendship, after all, friendship is what you do."
Twilight rubbed at her right foreleg with her left hoof. "About that... You know that portal in my castle, right? The one to the human world."
Lyra quickly nodded. "Yeah, I remember it. I've been through it before. What about it? Or is this about the world past it?"
Twilight sighed. "Yes, exactly. I made some friends over there, both the human counterparts to my best friends here, but also this girl. Her name's Sunset Shimmer. She doesn't even have a counterpart, which always struck me as interesting, but that's beside the point. She used to be Princess Celestia's student, got carried away, ran off to the human world, and now she lives there, as a human."
Lyra gave a slow nod. "So, is she worried Celestia may still try to punish her?"
Twilight frowned a little before shaking her head. "Nothing like that." Her wings ruffled as she sat up. "Celestia was never even really angry with her, just disappointed and sad... And that's just it. I think all of Equestria would welcome her back, and she's turned a new leaf, but she's in no hurry at all to come back. She's happy there, in the human world, without magic."
Lyra considered it as she played with her tophat. "Tell me more about this Miss Shimmer. Does she have friends there too?"
Twilight clopped her hooves together decisively. "She didn't, not really. She was a big bully, but after I visited, we kind of worked that out, and she got better, a lot better. She became friends with my friends. There've been some rough patches, but she's persisted and they're really getting close now, but even when they weren't seeing eye-to-eye, she never tried to come home."
Lyra pointed at Twilight. "Have you considered maybe she just likes being human? I mean, sure, they're kind of odd, and fingers are weird as anything, but not everypony has to like being a pony, given the choice, right?"
Twilight sagged on the couch before laying on her belly, half-sprawled across its softness. "It could be that simple. There's something about her... I feel like she deserves more. I feel like... Oh this is going to sound so foalish." Her head sank to the couch.
Lyra smiled gently. "Twilight, nothing you say here leaves these walls, and I'm not here to judge, just to help. What are you thinking? It can't be that bad."
Twilight perked her ears at Lyra a moment before they sagged limply. "I feel like I stole her destiny. She was so close to being me, to becoming the princess that I became, before she made a mistake and it all fell away from her."
Lyra considered a moment before nodding. "Let's presume, for a moment, that was true. What did you do, exactly, to bring this about?"
Twilight's snout opened and closed a few times as she struggled to find words before she growled and thumped a hoof on the couch. "It's just not fair! She's learned her lesson... Why can't she get another chance?"
Lyra gestured towards Twilight's castle in the distance, peering at Twilight through her monocle. "That chance is waiting for her to take. It's her choice. She doesn't seem as interested in that as other parts of her life, right now. Maybe that will change, but that's not your fault. Have you ever told her to stay out of Equestria?"
"What? Never!" Twilight sputtered as she sat up, looking at Lyra with wide eyes.
"Did you ever imply the Princess would be angry with her?"
"No!"
Lyra gently smiled. "Would you help her, if she came?"
"Of course!"
Lyra slid down and crossed the room. She set a hoof gently on Twilight's tall shoulder. "Then you should focus on being a good friend. If she wants to visit me, to talk, I'm available for her, but this isn't really about her, it's about you. She made her choice, and she sounds satisfied with how her life is going right now."
Twilight tensed and looked ready to argue before it escaped her in a sigh. "I suppose... I just kind of wish I had a chance to meet the pony Sunset Shimmer. I feel like we could have been such amazing friends. I mean, not that we aren't friends now, but I only see her through the writing she does to me, and... It hurts. She writes to me like I used to write to Princess Celestia. It feels so far away!" She threw a forehoof into the air in front of her. "I don't want to be her mentor. I want to be her friend."
Lyra hesitated. She felt like she was far closer to the root of the matter, but that didn't mean she knew exactly how to proceed. "Have you tried asking a few personal questions? I mean, she writes to you about what she's learned, right?" Twilight nodded hesitantly. "So reply, but ask her about other things. Ask her what her favorite play is. Ask her what she had for dinner last night. Ask her what she's dreaming about. Make it clear you want to know more than what she's learning. You want to hear everything."
Twilight slowly smiled. "I... I kind of like that idea." She suddenly paled and shrank back. "Oh, Celestia... I feel like..."
Lyra could see guilt playing over Twilight's features and gently patted her. "What's wrong? You can tell me."
Twilight slammed her hooves down on Lyra's shoulders in a painful slap. "Celestia did this! She tried so hard to get through to me. Looking back, it's so obvious! I never noticed. Oh... I'm the worst student of all time!"
Lyra winced in pain, but tried not to show it, instead nodding at Twilight. "Maybe she did, and now you know. It sounds, to me, like you have two letters to write."
Twilight hopped to her legs, tail wagging eagerly. "Yes, yes I do! Thank you!" She hurried towards the exit, her magic throwing open the door. Just as she stepped into the doorway she stopped and turned. "Next week, same time?" Soon she was gone, hurrying off towards her castle.
Lyra watched the retreating form of that lavender alicorn and smiled as she rubbed one of her sore shoulders. Twilight was a good princess, but she was stronger than she looked.