485 Faust Lane – Bottom Floor
Pots and pans rattled as Lyra rummaged through the kitchen. The mare sweat, licking her lips as she searched and searched the bottom floor of the apartment.
Frustrated, she twirled about with a sigh...
...and then her eyes fell upon a gold-embossed envelope sitting on an endtable besides one of the sofas.
"...!!!" She immediately rushed over, levitating the item with her magic. Using a letter opener, she sliced the envelope and procured the folded missive from within:
Dear Lyra Heartstrings,
It's me. Twilight Sparkle. Remember me from our days in school together? We used to hang out all the time in Canterlot with Lemon Hearts, Minuette, Twinkleshine, and Moondancer. Please don't be alarmed by the suddenness of this letter. I know that I'm a Princess these days and all, but that's of little importance to me. What's most important is friendship.
Not too long ago, I realized that I had been a terrible friend to the likes of you and the rest of the girls. For so long, I was rude and indifferent and inconsiderate, and I'm sorry. When I went to study friendship in Ponyville, I left my closest friends behind in Canterlot, which is a cruel case of irony, when you think about it.
Well, since then, I have reconnected with the likes of Twinkleshine, Lemon Hearts, Minuette, and—most importantly of all—Moondancer, whose feelings I had hurt terribly when I took off for Ponyville. I'm very proud to say that I was eventually able to reach out to all of them, and I've since enjoyed meeting up for many a talk and munch over doughnuts in Canterlot—just like old times.
And yet, to my own dismay, I realize that I've left you, Lyra Heartstrings, completely in the dark. True, I catch glimpses of you in Ponyville from time to time. I heard you've made very good friends with the local confectioner, Bon Bon, and that pleases me to no end. But that doesn't change the fact that every time I've gone to visit my old friends in Canterlot—you've not been there. I feel bad, as though I've left you out of a very precious circle, and that is something that I wish very much to amend.
So please, Lyra Heartstrings, would you do me the favor of meeting up with me sometime? How does breakfast tomorrow at the Castle sound? No pressure, of course. It's been a long time since we last chatted, and I'm sure you've got your own priorities to attend to. If you like, we can meet up another time. Or we don't have to meet up at all. Just know that it would bring me endless joy to reconnect with you again. So much has changed since I left Canterlot, and so much in Equestria keeps changing. I fear that—as a Princess—I stand to risk keeping track of the most important thing in all the world... and that's the ponies that I love and care about.
Do think about it. I promise that you won't be disappointed.
Sincerely,
Twilight Sparkle, a friend and foremost, a Princess Second.
Lyra Heartstrings lowered the letter from her grasp.
She glanced left and right, fidgeting under a wave of fresh trembles.
Taking a deep breath, she neatly folded the letter, placed it on the kitchen counter... and trotted back towards the front door.
Spike busied himself, humming, drumming on his belly. As soon as he heard Lyra's hoofsteps, he spring-jumped off his tail and landed on his rear claws.
"So! Did you read the Princess' letter?"
"Uh huh..."
"Any questions?"
"Yeah. Is she high?" Lyra squinted. "Twilight Sparkle and I haven't talked in ages. She... doesn't have to feel guilty about it or anything." Lyra shrugged. "Just... y'know... life goes on."
"So..." Spike squinted. "...does this mean that you're refusing the Princess' invitation?"
"I... I-I think that if I go and see her, then I'll be adding fuel to the fire of her expectations." Lyra shrugged. "She doesn't owe me anything. It's all cool, really. I respect her and I send her the best regards."
"Oh... well... shucks..." Spike kicked at the ground, his spines drooping. "...and here she was counting on me to bring back one of her best friends..."
"Look, I'm sure she's busy as it is with having to... uh... fill her crystal Hearth's Warming Tree of a castle with all sorts of posh ponies—"
"But... what will fill the void in her heart?" Spike sniffled, his green eyes quivering. "She's been so... so stressed as of late."
"I'm... sure she's got plenty of support from her new friends. Y'know... Applejunk and Fluttershanks?"
"And... and..." Spike sniffed again, fiddling with his tail. "...sooner than later, she's going to forget the precious things... the precious things from her past that made her what she is today..."
"Spyro, for the love of—" Lyra sighed into her hoof. She eventually turned to cast a dull glance at the second story of her apartment. "... ... ...she's made breakfast and everything?"
"Mmmhmmm. Fresh and on the house."
"Buhhhhhh..." At last, Lyra shut the door behind her and climbed into the tiny wagon, hunching her adult body over. "What are we waiting for? Can't let a good invitation down."
Spike instantly brightened. Any semblance of a sob vanished behind a bright, purple grin. "Excellent! Er... I mean... ahem... Excellent!" He waddled over to the front of the wagon and hitched himself to it. "Her Royal Majesty's chariot waits for nopony!"
"But could you dial down the pomp and circumstance, please? My sides can't handle it."
But Spike was too busy grinding against the grass and soil with his claws in a futile attempt to draw the wagon forward. "Grnnnngh... just... a second..." He huffed and puffed, tail lashing. "...gotta... g-get past this rut h-here!"
"Uhm..." Lyra craned her neck. "...the Castle's just across the village. We could—y'know—walk to it in under ten minutes."
"Nonsense!" Spike huffed and puffed. "In a matter of weeks... Twilight's gonna have the place f-filled with servants! Right now... she's st-still counting on j-just me! And... I won't... let h-her... down!"
Lyra sighed, rolling her eyes. Her horn glowed, and she gave the wagon a tiny shove with her telekinesis.
Spike wheezed with relief as the wagon wheels spun evenly behind him. "Ha-hah! What did I tell you?!" Wiping the sweat from his brow, he trudged forward, pulling the wagon briskly towards its destination. "The Princess' first and foremost loyal servant won't let her down!"
"Go get 'em, Spyro."
"Spike."
"Right. Whatevever. What's in a name?"