Lyra Gets Lost!

by XangelMusic

Chapter 4: Catch Me If You Can!

Lyra trudges along the wall of the school corridor bewildered by her lucky escape from Bon Bon.

“Ugh, that’s just like Bon Bon. She always tries to get me to the hospital whenever she gets the chance.”

It doesn’t make Lyra like Bon Bon even less. She’s happy with her current relationship with her roommate back in Ponyville, although she is one of those ponies who would chide Lyra for her human research nonsense as she calls it. It does get her down sometimes whenever Bon Bon says these things; to hear such things from your best friend are quite disheartening. Twilight was the same. She could feel it every time she comes to Twilight for help but Lyra figured it was to be expected since everypony else gave the same reaction.

As Lyra looks up for a minute she sees a place that she knows all too well.

“I can’t believe I found the library.”

By mere luck, that’s what it was. It is a large blue room consisting of a ground and upper floor connected by staircases on each side of the room with bookshelves layered across the two floors. In the middle was a gold, gaudy sculpture in the shape of a horse surrounded by a circular table with strange devices on top of them. The devices themselves consist of several large flat panels, flat boards with many buttons on them in front of each panel, and what Lyra believes are small speakers on each side of each of the aforementioned two. Of course, Lyra hasn’t got a clue what the hay they are.

“Lyra, you’re earlier than I expected.” Lyra turns to see an adult woman with freckles and magenta hair, and wearing an old cotton frock that even Lyra thinks is out of date.
“Ms. Cheerilee?”

“I have the reading material you asked for.” Ms. Cheerliee lets go of her trolley and motions behind a counter searching for something.
“Reading material?”

“That’s right.” Before Lyra could say anything, Ms. Cheerilee presents Lyra with a stack of twenty or so books. “Remember to return them by the due date.”

Ms. Cheerilee walks off with her trolley while Lyra peruses the books she didn’t remember asking for. The titles refer to aliens, UFOs, and the universe which sates her curiosity for some reason. She knows they belong to her other self but she can’t help but glue her eyes to their pages.

*****

“So how did this whole thing start?”

“I left your journal in the middle of the library and the portal was there as well,” Twilight sighed. “Lyra must have put two and two together.”

“I did say to Twilight she had to be more careful.”

“Spike…” Twilight was not in the mood for Spike’s snide comments.

“Oh well, what’s done is done I guess. I’m sure nothing bad is gonna happen. Trust me.”

Twilight and Sunset continue down the corridor in a brisk walk. It didn’t take long for them to find the library has originally planned until Twilight comes across an unfortunate familiar face.

“You! What are you doing back here?”

It was the sirens, Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk, and Aria Blaze, who terrorised the school earlier but with Twilight’s help, was able to thwart their plans to take over the world.
“After everything you’ve done to us, we’ve become the laughing stocks of this school.” She appraises Twilight in an intimidating manner forcing Twilight to back off from the supposed leader of the group. “Maybe this is a good thing; I wouldn’t mind having some bit of fun.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind having my way with you,” challenged Aria while pumping her fists.

“Me too,” Sonata repeated the same action.

“Hey, lay off!” Sunset steps up in between Twilight and Adagio her arm sticking out to shield Twilight.

“Why should we? After everything she’s done.”

“After everything you’ve done.”

The two girls stare down at each. Twilight flinches, uncomfortable with the standoff the girls are having. Eventually, Adagio backs up before returning a scoff.

“Come on girls, we don’t have time for this.”

The three girls disappear allowing Twilight and Sunset to relax.

“That was scary…”

“Yeah, they haven’t been well liked by the school since the band competition. I kinda envy them in a way.”

“You do?”

Sunset nodded silently. It is quite surprising to hear Sunset say that wondering what could have prompted that statement.

“After the Fall Formal, I didn’t have anyone to connect with. Everyone avoided me and didn’t want to accept me because of what I did.”

“What do you mean? Didn’t the girls accept you into their group?”

“They did but I felt like I didn’t belong. They have tried to cheer me up before but they couldn’t know what I was going through. I felt alone and guilty over what I’ve done that I couldn’t fall back onto anyone. It was until you came back that I finally connected with someone.”

Twilight blushed. She remembers the time she tried to write her counter spell at Pinkie Pie house when the girls had their sleep over. Twilight did feel something from Sunset when they conversed. It was a warm feeling. Maybe that’s what Sunset is referring to. Twilight perks up when Sunset continued.

“I mean, if you’re going to be miserable wouldn’t you rather do that with those who’s going through the same thing as you?”

“Being miserable is not exactly a good thing.”

“But as long you have friends there’s always hope, right?”

Twilight contemplates for a minute but can’t help feel there is some truth to that statement. It was because of Twilight and her friends that they able to reform Princess Luna from her alter ego Nightmare Moon, Discord who through his antics and chaotic behaviour was able to realise that he too wants a friend in his life through the kind acts of Fluttershy, and now Sunset Shimmer who has grown to become a better person.

“Come on, Twilight.”

The two plus Spike head inside the library. It was as majestic as Twilight remembers it; she couldn’t help but feel nostalgic having her first night in this place. They look around with Sunset taking the upper floor while Twilight scrounges the bottom floor. She then sees the back of a familiar face, at a table, a book open in her hands and a stack of books layered next to her.

Twilight treads slightly towards the female. Her basic concern was this may not be the Lyra they were looking for but in the end she has makes sure.
“Lyra?”

Lyra turns quickly to face a girl she doesn’t recognise with tri-coloured blue-purple-pink hair, a blue blouse and a purple skirt perpetrating a star emblem. But her voice was extremely familiar.

“Twilight?”

“Lyra!”

It was a moment both girls couldn’t ignore as if everything fell into place. Lyra darts out her chair and nearly knocks Twilight over.

“Catch me if you can!”

Twilight calls out to Sunset who then commences to chase after the suspect. Chastised by the scene before her, Ms. Cheerilee sighs. “I need a new job…”

Comments

[Emperor]

This chapter could have used a little bit more Lyra introspection. After she finds out her alternate self is obsessed with aliens, she could have taken a moment while reading in the library to reflect on how they both have their obsessions, just with different items (and magical pastel ponies living in an alternate dimension could probably fit in for 'aliens').

[michaelb958]

Lyra trudges along the wall of the school corridor

So normal gravity is optional now?