Ponyville – 485 Faust Lane – Morning
The door to the bathroom creaked open, venting dense steam.
Minutes later, Lyra Heartstrings trotted out, levitating a towel as she briskly dried her freshly-showered mane and coat. She shuffled about listlessly, her hooves attempting to stomp out her thoughts in migrant circles.
At last, with an exasperated groan, she tossed the towel in a random direction and marched her way up the stairs.
Lyra lingered at the end of the hallway. She bit her lip.
Far across from her, the door to Bon Bon's room lingered.
Early morning sunlight cast bright white rays against the walls of the second story interior. Dust danced in the beams.
Lyra stepped forward... fidgeted... and stepped forward again.
She approached the door to Bon Bon's room, her hoof lingering beside the frame.
She froze in place.
A sigh... and she turned around, trotting away with heavy steps.
Silence.
Minutes later, Lyra returned. She shuffled towards the door—slower this time—with her head hanging low. At last, when she reached the frame, she raised her head with a melancholic expression. With drooping ears, she reached out to knock... but daringly chose to grasp the doorknob instead.
Click.
Creaaaaaaak.
Lyra opened the door halfway. Nervously, she peered inside the room.
A fuzzy lump lay beneath the covers... slowly rising and falling with soft breaths. On the bedside table—within hoof's reach—there lay a metal grappling hook that sharply contrasted the otherwise delicate decor of the rest of the room.
Lyra exhaled with a shudder. She leaned against the doorframe, gazing into the shadows, eyes locked on the slumbering shape of her best friend.
"You're right about me," she murmured, her throat sore. "You always are." A gulp. "I... I'm sorry, Bon Bon. If... if it means so much..." A determined breath. "If it means so much to you, then I'll gladly go on th—"
Dinnng-Donnnnnng!
Lyra blinked. She slowly turned around, gazing at the bottom floor foyer beyond the stairs.
Once again, the doorbell echoed.
Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiing-Donnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng!
"Grnnngh..." Lyra rolled her eyes, backtrotted, and silently closed the door to Bon Bon's bedroom. "...that'd better be the Angel of Death."
Click!
Lyra unlocked the front door and gazed out, frowning.
"Okay, look. I gave your guys' book a try, but I couldn't get past the gratuitous sword-slaying in Chapter Four—"
A tiny purple dragon blew a golden trumpet in Lyra's muzzle.
"Guhhh!" Lyra reeled back. She shook her mane back straight and hissed, "Are you crazy?! It's morning! My roommate's trying to sl—"
"Hear ye! Hear ye!" the little whelp bowed proudly. "Her Royal Majesty Princess Twilight Sparkle's chariot has arrived for those who have been summoned!"
"Mrmmmff..." Lyra stood straight, blinking rapidly. "What in the buck?" Her muzzle twisted. "Summoning?"
"... ... ...?" Spike tilted his head back from where he was bowing with the trumpet. "Why... yes! You were summoned overnight, Miss Heartstrings!"
"I... was...?"
"Er... just one second..." Spike tossed the trumpet into mallet-space and proceeded to fish through even more nebulous vacuoles in pursuit of a piece of parchment. "I wrote it all down here somewhere..." He licked his lips with a serpent's tongue before finally procuring said-note. "Ah ha! 'Spike, please check up on Lyra to see if she's gotten my note, and while you're on your way to Sugarcube Corner... yadda yadda yadda...' Yes! Ahem...'Try to make her trip to the Castle as easy and safe as possible, should she decide to accept my invitation.'"
Lyra's brow furrowed even harder. "What invitation?"
"Behold, Miss Heartstrings, your chariot arrives—"
"Wait wait wait..." Lyra held her forelimbs out. "Hold the sound stone, Spyro."
"Uhm... it's Spike." The whelp raised an eyecrest. "Remember?"
"Barely. By the time Twilight... er... h-hatched you, she was virtually a no-show to every doughnut raid we ever did." Lyra cocked her head to the side. "Did she really get her cutie mark for bringing you out of the egg?"
"Uhhhh... kinda..." Spike cleared his throat. "It's a tad bit complicated. Look, are you getting in the chariot or not?"
"Chariot?" Lyra craned her neck. She spotted a little red wagon and did a double-take. "What the...?! Okay... what's the deal? Is this Canter Camera or—?"
"No joke! I assure you!" Spike stood up tall, puffing out his scaley little chest. "This is a most important function of the Princess of Friendship!" After that was said, he deflated slightly. "But... uhm... we h-haven't yet stocked up the Castle with servants and guards, sooooooooo thiswillhavetodofornow... eheheh..."
"Uhhhh..."
"B-but the wag—er.... chariot's comfortable! I promise! See? It's got pillows and everything!"
"I... think there's been a mistake," Lyra said. "Twilight's a friend from long-ago, and I'm super stoked that she's all... y'know..." A slight sigh. "Princessy and stuff." She gulped. "But... I think if she had summoned me, I would know it."
"You mean..." Spike tilted his spined head to the side. "...you didn't get the royal memo?"
Lyra blinked... then blinked again. She raised a mint green hoof. "Just... wait right here for a tick." And she rushed indoors.
"Tick?" Spike shrugged, then sat on his tail. "I'm pretty good at ticking!"