Chapter One
“Oh, come on. Why are you so set against it?” Lyra’s friend whined as they walked through the crowded market place of Ponyville.
She sighed, her shoulders sagging at her friend’s persistent badgering. “Because, I’m not any good at the party scene.” She gave the beige earth pony a sidelong glance. “I never have been, you know that.”
Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “But it’ll be different this time, I swear! I’m confident you learned from Pinkie Pie’s last party.” A smile widened across her face. “We’ll make sure not to spin you around so much that you actually pin the tail on a real pony this time around.”
Lyra lowered her head, a fierce blush creeping across her mint-colored face. “I was so embarrassed. I’m just glad Big Mac wasn’t mad at me.”
Her friend laughed. “Oh, I’m sure he wasn’t mad… well, after they removed the pin from his flank anyway.” She gave Lyra a teasing wink. “I heard they were thinking about operating to get it out.”
Lyra sputtered. “That’s a lie! That never happened!”
Bon Bon had another laugh at her. “You’re waaay too gullible, Lyra. You just make it too easy sometimes.”
Lyra turned her nose up with a harrumph and trotted ahead, Bon Bon following after her. She made her way through the vendors of the small town, haggling for her groceries and stuffing them away in her saddle bags.
As she shopped, Bon Bon continuously pestered her about Pinkie Pie’s party that night. Lyra tried her best to drown out the rambling and focus on the vegetables. While she didn’t hate anything about Pinkie’s parties—she had to admit they were fun—Lyra never felt comfortable being around so many ponies at once. Too many awkward events in her past made the thought of attending another one send a shiver up her spine—the pin-the-tail-on-the-pony incident with Big Mac coming clearly to mind. Poking at a particularly unappetizing-looking avocado, she decided she was just about done shopping. Waving over at Bon Bon, she began to make her way out.
As they left the market, Lyra spotted a trio ponies sitting at one of the outdoor diners. When she walked close, she overheard one of the three say something to her companions, while pointing at her. The other two laughed at whatever was said. Lyra winced, lowering her ears and increasing her stride.
“Hey!” Bon Bon called after her. “Slow down, will you?” She caught up to the unicorn and looked at her with an indignant huff. “Were you trying to run away from me just now?”
Lyra shook her head. “N-no, just…” She glanced back at the trio at the table and looked away again.
Bon Bon followed her gaze. “What’s the matter, Lyra?”
She shook her head. “It’s… nothing.”
Bon Bon furrowed her brow. “You’re lying to me.” She rested a hoof on her shoulder. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
Lyra sighed. “I’m just tired of being laughed at.”
Bon Bon scowled, glaring back at the three as they walked. “That wasn’t necessary!” she shouted at the three, who averted their gazes. Bon Bon grumbled before looking back at her friend and bumped against her. “Come on, cheer up. You just have to learn to laugh at things, too. Don’t take everything so seriously all the time.”
A small smile played across Lyra’s expression. “Is it really that simple?”
“I bet if you gave it a try, it would be.” She gave a sly grin. “And the party tonight will be the best place to learn.”
The unicorn dropped her head with a groan. “Why do you want me to go to the party so bad?”
“Because it’s no fun without you! I just know you’ll have fun if you just try.” Bon Bon tossed her mane back behind her head and gave her friend a mischievous grin. “Besides, we might find you a nice stallion at the party.”
Again, Lyra’s face turned a bright shade of red, and she looked away. “That would be nice,” she said under her breath, and looked back at Bon Bon. “Is it really that important to you?”
Bon Bon’s face lit up in a wide smile. “It is! So you’ll go?”
Her mouth turned up in a smile at her friend’s excited tone. “Yeah, I’ll go.”
Bon Bon pranced in place, giving a little squeal. “I’m so happy to hear that! Caramel is going to be there, too! I can’t wait!”
Lyra’s eyes narrowed, and she pointed an accusatory hoof at her friend. “So that’s why you need me! You’re going because Caramel is going to be there.”
The earth pony’s eyes widened for a split second before she turned her head away, eyes darting. “O-of course not! We’re going so we can have fun, and maybe find you a stallion, too.”
This time, it was Lyra’s turn to grin slyly. “Sure it is.” She chuckled as her friend gave an irritated swish of her tail, catching Lyra on the flank. “Haven’t you two already gone on a few dates already? Why do you need me when you’re already dating?”
Bon Bon groaned. “Because it is not just about me. It’s about you, too. I met Caramel at one of Pinkie’s parties, and I just know you’ll find a stallion, too, if you just try. So quit trying to weasel out of it, and meet me at Sugar Cube Corner tonight.”
As Bon Bon started down the street to her home, she cast one last firm glare at her unicorn friend, waggling her hoof menacingly. “I mean it, Lyra. If you don’t show up, I will drag you there by the mane if I have to.”
Lyra’s eyes widened, and she leaned away from the extended hoof. “You’d really do that?”
Bon Bon’s hoof dropped, and she rubbed at her face, groaning. “No, but I’ll be very angry at you if you don’t.”
A relieved sigh escaped Lyra. “All right, I’ll be there.”
“Good!”
The two waved a farewell to each other, and Lyra started down the street she lived on. As she walked, many of the ponies would smile and wave to her, which she returned with some sheepishness. Even though these were ponies she had known for a long time, she still felt that bit of nervousness at the attention. It wasn’t that she was that shy, but she admitted to not being the most socially graceful of ponies.
She remembered the one time she and Bon Bon had gone to see a stand up comedian’s performance in Canterlot. The comedian had made an obscure little joke that only a few ponies would get - she did, so she laughed. Unfortunately, she had been the only one. The stares of a whole auditorium still made her cringe in embarrassment at the memory.
“Lyra!”
She reared back in surprise, sending her newly bought groceries tumbling out of her saddlebag and across the ground.
“Whoa! Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you,” she heard a voice say above her.
With her mane and hackles still standing on end, she looked up to see Blossomforth staring down at her. “You scared the living daylights out of me, Blossomforth!”
Her friend chuckled and flew down to land near her. “I’m sorry. I tried getting your attention, but you weren’t even listening. So I yelled.” She tilted her head. “Are you all right?”
Lyra let out a shuddering breath and straightened her mane out. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just… distracted.” She looked to the groceries on the ground with a sigh. “Now I’ll have to wash everything before I can eat.”
Blossomforth rubbed at her foreleg. “I said I was sorry.”
Lyra nodded after a moment, a soft sigh escaping her. “It’s okay, you just startled me.” Her horn glowed with its golden aura, and her groceries levitated back into her saddle bags, which she settled on her back.
The pegasus gave a smile and nod. “So what are you doing tonight? Did you know Pinkie’s throwing another one of her famous parties tonight?” she asked as she brushed her cerise and mint-green mane behind her ears.
Lyra gritted her teeth at yet another mention of the party. “Yeah. Bon Bon and I are going tonight. She’s using me as wing pony.”
As the two started down the road, Blossomforth looked at her, her brow furrowing. “Why would she need you for that? Aren’t she and Caramel dating already?”
Lyra nodded. “They are, but Bon Bon thinks the party is a perfect opportunity for me to find a special somepony, too.”
Blossomforth chuckled. “You don’t sound as confident.”
Instead of laughing, the unicorn lowered her head. “…I’m not. You know how well I do in crowds.”
Her friend gave her a look of concern. “Don’t be like that, Lyra.”
She stared at the path ahead of them. “I’ve heard some of those jokes ponies make about me. I’m a wreck. A social disaster just waiting to happen.”
The pegasus scowled and wrapped a foreleg around Lyra’s withers. “That’s because they don’t know you, Lyra. Don’t let the comments of a few mean ponies get you down. I mean, just look at it this way: you’re a socialite compared to Fluttershy, and she has many friends. You just need… ah…”
“To be less of a disaster waiting to happen?” she supplied.
Blossomforth's visage hardened. “Now you stop that. You’re a good pony who’s just had some social flubs. I know you’ll get better at it and find that special somepony you’re looking for.”
Lyra narrowed her eyes at her. “Who said I was looking for a special somepony?”
“Nopony. I just know you,” Blossomforth shot back, before a slight smirk crossed her face. “That, and all the romance novels you have on your nightstand are a not-so-subtle hint.”
Lyra felt the blood drain from her face—she was pretty sure her mouth would have hit the ground if it were possible. “H-how did you know?”
The pegasus pointed to the upper-floor window of Lyra’s home as the approached. “That’s how. Any pegasus can see inside when you leave the shutters open like that all the time.”
The unicorn covered her face, her ears falling to the side of her head. “I’m so embarrassed.”
Again, Blossomforth laid a foreleg over her withers, which Lyra agreed made her feel better. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Lyra. If you need help finding a stallion, we’ll help you out. I know Bon Bon is jumping at the chance to hook you up with somepony.”
Lyra muttered to herself. “What about you, Blossomforth? Do you have a special somepony in mind?”
A warm smile crossed the pegasus’s face. “There is somepony, but he just doesn’t know it yet.” She ran a hoof through her mane. “He’ll find out soon enough, though.”
Lyra felt her own smile creep across her muzzle. “Well, I hope he finds out soon enough. Who’s the lucky stallion?”
The pegasus winked at her. “I’ll tell you later.” She looked to the sky as it was beginning to redden in the late afternoon. “Well, I better get home so I can get ready for the party. I’ll see you there, Lyra.”
The two shared a quick hug before the pegasus took to the air and was soon out of sight. Lyra stared after her friend for a time and couldn’t help but wonder who the lucky stallion it was that attracted her eye. Whoever it was, he didn’t know how fortunate he was.
-0-
It was a pleasant day at work. The weather was scheduled to be nice and sunny with a few clouds, one of Thunderlane’s favourite types of day. It meant that all he had to do was make sure the right amount of clouds were in the sky, and then he could spend the rest of the workday doing the one thing he liked most: relaxing.
He yawned as the sun warmed his dark gray fur, and ran a hoof through his silvery mohawk as he reclined on the comfortable cloud he had made for himself. The gentle breeze caused his cloud to sway like a hammock, and he found his eyelids growing heavy. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to work, he told himself. It was just that it would be a crime for somepony not to enjoy this perfect day. Giving into his own reasoning, he yawned again and settled deeper into the cloud. A soft snore escaped him as he drifted into a soft snooze.
A short while later, his ears twitched as he heard a shout in the distance. He turned his ear towards the sound and opened an eye just a smidge to see what all the commotion was about.
“Thunderlane! Thunderlane!” He saw a rainbow-colored blur flying across the sky. “Where are you, you slacker!?”
“Oh, boy…” Thunderlane muttered, wincing to himself. If Rainbow Dash was looking for him, it meant trouble. He grabbed ahold of his cloud and flew upward to join a cluster of others. With any luck, his manager would fly on by, and he could get back to his nap.
He peeked over the edge of his cloud and saw the pegasus fly by without so much as looking up. With a proud smile, he resettled on his cloud and prepared to enjoy that snooze he was forced to delay.
That was until he felt his cloud disappear from under him. With a surprised shout, he fell before he spread his wings and used a warm air current to carry him back up into the sky.
“Enjoy your nap there, lazy bones?” Rainbow Dash glared at him with annoyance.
He moaned in disappointment. “I was, actually. Why’d you bother me?”
“For your information, Thunderlane, we’ve got an Everfree storm brewing, and we need to keep it away from Ponyville.” She pointed with a hoof towards the woods, and he saw a large cluster of black storm clouds over the trees. The rumble of thunder was audible, even from the distance they were.
“That sounds bad.” He frowned and limbered up. “So, what’re we gonna do, boss?”
Rainbow clopped her front hooves together, a daring grin on her face. “We’re gonna kick that storm’s flank, that’s what.”
“Huh. Didn’t know storms had flanks.” He shrugged to himself.
She whapped him upside the head. “Don’t get smart with me, Thunderlane. I’ll go get the others and we’ll stop that storm before it has a chance to send even a single raindrop on Ponyville.”
He rubbed at the back of his head as she zoomed away. Getting himself whacked upside the head by his boss wasn’t that unusual—it’d become almost a game between the two. He often poked fun at the pegasus just to get a reaction out of her, and she was always quick to let him know when he stepped too far.
He smiled despite himself and flew for the fringe of the Everfree Forest. The closer he got to the brewing storm, the more he could tell that it was going to be, as Pinkie Pie would say, quite the doozy. Even though it was still in the beginning stages of development, the winds were fairly strong, and lightning was already sparking off, bright and fierce. He frowned as he realized that it was going to take the whole weather team to stop this one.
He hovered above the forest edge and watched the storm brew. The winds made it a chore to keep his position, but he would’ve never made the weather team if he let a simple breeze send him tumbling out of the air.
“Looks like we’ve got our hooves full today,” he heard a voice say. He turned to see Blossomforth fly up beside him.
“It does, doesn’t it?” He stretched his forelegs, warming up. “Did Rainbow Dash get to you?”
Blossomforth nodded, doing a few leg stretches of her own. “She went to find Cloudchaser and Flitter and the others. They shouldn’t be that far behind me.” A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. “She also told me to make sure you don’t slack on the job. Did she catch you napping again?”
“Ruined a perfectly good afternoon nap,” he muttered as the wind blew both their manes around. “All because of a dumb storm that doesn’t know what it’s doing.”
She nodded before she stole a glance at him. “Thunderlane, did you hear about—"
They turned around as they heard Rainbow catch up with the rest of the weather team. The group of pegasi stood at attention as she addressed them.
“All right, team. We got a major thunderstorm brewing over the Everfree Forest, and it’s our job to make sure it doesn’t disrupt the weather over Ponyville.”
“As if that wasn’t obvious.” Thunderlane whispered to Blossomforth, which caused the other pegasus to giggle.
“That being said, we’re the ones who are gonna make sure that doesn’t happen. No Everfree storm is gonna slip past us on my watch! So, are you all ready!?” She turned to them. “I said, are you all ready!?”
“Ready, ma’am!” they replied in unison.
“All right, then. Let’s do this!” She flew ahead towards the storm, her team close on her fetlocks.
“This is gonna be fun,” Blossomforth said to Thunderlane as they pushed through the increasingly strong winds of the storm.
He smiled despite himself. “I’d still rather be relaxing on my cloud.”
“Heads up! Storm clouds approaching fast!” they heard Cloudchaser yell.
“Flitter, Cloudchaser, take the left! Blossomforth, Thunderlane, take the right! I’ve got the center!” Rainbow Dash barked before plunging head first into the first of the large storm clouds. A shouted “hi-yah!” followed, and the storm cloud was broken apart by a solid kick.
Thunderlane banked to the right, Blossomforth following behind him. They rounded the storm before swooping in, kicking and punching ferociously, the clouds breaking apart and dissipating from the natural, weather-controlling magics of the pegasi. The winds whipped and tore at their manes and tails, but they never once slowed down as they worked to keep the growing storm from reaching their homes.
“Ha! This is almost too easy!” Blossomforth yelled as she broke apart another cloud. “At this rate we’ll—”
“Watch it!” Thunderlane yelled, and yanked sharply on her tail. The sudden move saved the pegasus from a nasty lightning strike. He let her go, and the two swooped and swerved as lightning lashed out of the clouds at them.
Blossomforth gasped as she dodged another lightning strike. “Is the storm… fighting back?”
“That’s an Everfree storm for you,” he muttered, and a slow smile crossed his face. “Follow me!”
He dove back down at the storm, Blossomforth close behind him. He used his wings to create a spiraling current that tore the clouds apart one after the other. He burst from one side of the storm, then dove right back in, dividing the clouds with every pass.
Thunderlane cheered, raising a hoof in victory after another such maneuver. “Ha! We’re tearing this thing apart!”
“Way to go, Thunderlane!” Blossomforth said as she flew alongside him.
“Don’t get cocky! That’s my job!” they heard Rainbow yell as she flew through the clouds. “Thunderlane, if you think you’re gonna beat me at getting rid of this storm, you’ve got another thing coming!”
His grin widened. “We’ll see about that, boss!” He dove back into the storm, swerving through the clouds as they unleashed their wrath and breaking apart those he came in contact with. However, it seemed as if for every cloud they broke apart, two more would take its place. The wind grew in intensity, and the weather team found it increasingly hard to keep themselves steady in their flight.
“Thunderlane! What’s going on? I thought we were stopping this thing?” Blossomforth yelled over the howling winds.
He gritted his teeth, his eyes squinting in the gale. “I don’t know! It’s not—Whoa!” He banked sharply as a large hail stone missed him by mere inches. “Get back! Get out of the storm!” he shouted back at her. They flapped their wings hard and burst from the storm clouds to find the rest of the team not far away. They were breathing heavily and were haggard from intense flying. Even Rainbow Dash looked like she’d been put through the wringer.
“Boss, what’re we gonna do? That storm’s not giving up!” he asked Rainbow when he caught his breath.
She tossed back her mane out of her eyes and glared at the storm as it continued to build strength. “We’re gonna bust that storm apart, that’s what we’re gonna do! That storm isn’t giving up, and neither are we!” She turned to address them all. “We’re gonna break right through its center, combine our wing power, and take out its core! That’ll stop this storm for good!”
Blossomforth winced and looked back at the raging storm. The trees below were bending and swaying, and more than a few were being uprooted by the sheer power of the gale. “Rainbow Dash, do you really think it would be en—” She was interrupted as a strong gust blew through, scattering the entire weather team.
“We have to chance it!” Rainbow yelled back. “Thunderlane, you’re behind me! Everypony, let’s go!”
He flew after her as she zipped away. The other members of the team fell in behind them as they headed for the very heart of the tempest. The winds buffeted and ripped at the the pegasi, loosening more than a few feathers, but they carried on. Thunderlane, despite his earlier cockiness, now wondered if they would be able to handle the storm on their own. The wind currents threatened to knock him aside, and the hail promised to batter him out of the sky.
‘Can’t believe I gave up a nap for this,’ he thought to himself, gritting his teeth against the pressure.
“Alright, everypony, together! Make a cyclone!” Rainbow yelled back at them as she banked sharply to the side.
Thunderlane grunted and followed after her, straining his wings to create the needed speed to break apart the storm. The team followed suit, each one straining just as much as he as they completed one lap through the heart of the storm. They performed another lap followed, and another as they picked up speed.
He felt a shift in the air as the winds began to change. The thunder sounded, and the lightning lashed out, but he knew the storm was growing weaker. He pushed his wings harder to keep up with the mare in front of him, and his ears gave a painful pop. With a final shout, the team pushed through, and the storm tore itself apart.
Rainbow held up a hoof in victory. “Haha! All right!” The team all joined in her celebration as the storm broke apart and scattered.
Thunderlane shared a high hoof with Rainbow. “Way to go, boss.”
“Way to go, team,” Rainbow said to them. “If you’re going to Pinkie’s party tonight, and I know everyone’s been invited—” she rolled her eyes “—then I’ll let you guys off early so you can get ready. Just make sure you’re prepared if another emergency rears its ugly head.” She looked directly at Thunderlane. “And I don’t want to have to kick anypony out of a cloud again.”
He rubbed at the back of his head as the rest of the team shared a laugh at his expense. As the team scattered, Thunderlane found himself being followed by Blossomforth.
“So, are you going to the party, Thunderlane?” she asked as they glided back towards Ponyville.
His shoulders rose in a shrug. “I really hadn’t planned on it. How is it any different from her normal parties?”
A faint blush crept up on her cheeks. “Well, I wanted to see if you were going, too. Maybe we all could go together and celebrate getting rid of the storm. You know…”
He looked back at her for a second and shrugged again. “I suppose I could. I’m not doing anything else that I know of.”
Her smile grew quickly. “Well, I’ll see you there, then. Maybe we’ll even play a few games together.” Her gaze snapped to the side. “Oh, there’s Lyra. I’m gonna go talk to her. I’ll see you at the party, Thunderlane.”
He waved to her as she swerved off. As he glided over the trees of the park, and his mind began to wander. Truthfully, he wasn’t really too enthused about going to the party. He’d been to many of them before, and they did get old when she would throw a party at the drop of a feather. Still, he supposed he could stomach another if the whole team was going. If anything, it might be fun to see them make fools of themselves at the games the party pony always had on hoof.
A yawn escaped him, and he shook his head. “I need my nap. Can’t go to a party if all I’m doing is yawning,” he said to himself as he glided lower.
He swooped down and landed on a comfortable branch of a tree that overlooked the local watering hole. In the late afternoon, he knew that most ponies wouldn’t bother him out here, so he laid himself out on the nook of the branch and settled into a comfortable nap. His rhythmic breathing soon became part of the sounds of the small lake.
-0-
Lyra made her way for Sugar Cube Corner at a leisurely pace, her coat and mane brushed out for the evening. She smiled proudly as her cutie mark seemed to shine in the late evening light. Tonight was going to be the night she got over her anxiety, and find herself that special somepony. Though she wasn’t truly hopeful on the latter, but she promised herself that she would at least try.
Picking up her pace, she rounded the street towards the bakery. The music was loud enough to be heard from down the road and she saw a number of ponies mill about its entrance. Taking a calming breath, she trotted ahead—tonight was going to be the night.
She didn’t see the ball roll into the road until she had already stepped on it and tripped. Falling face first into the dirt road, she gave an undignified grunt.
Spitting out the taste of earth, she looked up as a little filly ran up to her, uttering a stream of apologies. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for the ball to get away from me.”
Lyra turned to see the small unicorn filly look at her with sad eyes and she sighed—so began her luck. “It’s all right, Sweetie Belle, it was an accident.” She stood up and tried to brush off the dirt and dust from her coat.
“I really am sorry, Miss Lyra. I didn’t mean to get you dirty,” Sweetie Belle said as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo came running up to see what happened.
Lyra stood straighter. “It’s all right, girls.” She looked to the three. “Just watch out where you’re playing ball, okay? That way nopony gets hurt.”
The three nodded. “We will,” Scootaloo said as she scooped up the ball. “Come on, girls. We got some time yet before we have to do homework.”
Apple Bloom stuck her tongue out. “Bleh, ya didn’t have ta remind me.”
“Come on!” Sweetie Belle yelled before the three rushed off.
Lyra watched them run off and shook her head once again at the collected dirt on her clean coat.
She lifted her head, shaking her mane out. “No matter, I can still make this work.”
Trotting ahead, she caught up to the ponies who were mingling around the door. More than one stole a quick glance her way before looking away with faint smiles. Lyra tried her best to ignore the looks, but they stung nevertheless.
When she entered the store, she saw that Pinkie had outdone herself once again. Brightly colored streamers and balloon covered nearly every inch of the store. A DJ booth had been set up for the resident DJ to play her music, and ponies were already out on the dance floor enjoying themselves to the loud music.
Before she had gotten far, she heard her name called out. “Lyra! Over here!”
She turned and saw Bon Bon waving a hoof around like a party favor from a booth along the wall—Blossomforth and Caramel already sitting with her. The two smiled as Lyra approached them.
“About time you got here,” Blossomforth said as she scooted over for the unicorn to sit next to her. “Bon Bon was about to go hunt you down.”
Bon Bon laughed. “I would’ve too, but I don’t think Caramel would have let me.” She nuzzled the stallion sitting next to her, who in turn blushed as he returned the affectionate gesture.
“It wouldn’t have been nice of you to have actually hunted her down, you know? It would have been very embarrassing if you had.”
She turned her nose up and sniffed. “I warned her if she tried to skip out on us that I would, and I meant it.”
Lyra sighed. “I did show up, just like I said.” She looked back to the dance floor, watching the ponies dance their hearts away to the upbeat music. “So what did I miss?” she asked as she looked back at her friends.
“Just Pinkie welcoming everypony to the party and getting things started,” Blossomforth said as she munched on a cupcake—bits of pink frosting covering the sides of her mouth.
Lyra nodded and scanned the crowd for anypony else she knew, before looking back to the pegasus. “So where is your date, Blossomforth?”
The pegasus smiled. “He’ll be along, he said he would.”
Lyra nodded and looked to the two earth ponies who sat next to each other. Their constant nuzzling brought about a flush to her own cheeks. “Do we need to leave you two alone for a while?”
While Caramel blushed fiercely at the comment, Bon Bon turned to her with a daring look. “No, you don’t. I said I was going to hook up tonight, Lyra, and I’m going to do it.” She looked to Blossomforth, who sat with her own impish smile. “All right, Blossomforth. Do you see any candidates for Lyra out there?”
The pegasus laughed and looked over the crowds, peering past the dancers to those milling around the tables and booths. “What about him, Bon Bon?” She pointed at one stallion talking with a number of friends.
“Davenport?” She stuck her tongue out. “No way, he’s nuts.”
Blossomforth scrunched up her face. “What do you mean ‘nuts’?”
“He sells two things at his store. Two things! Quills and sofas! You tell me how that isn’t crazy.”
“He’s a specialist.”
“He’s nuts.”
Blossomforth shook her head, snorting. “Well, what about you? Do you see any pony out there that will do?”
Caramel coughed and tried to speak up. “I have cousin in Appleoosa that might—"
“If he isn’t here, he doesn’t count, Caramel." He ducked his head and didn’t say another word.
“What about him?” Bon Bon said, pointing at another stallion that was laughing with a number of friends.
Blossomforth grabbed the sides of her mane. “He’s married!”
“So?” Bon Bon shot back.
The other three looked at her like she had grown a fifth leg. “Did… you just say that in front of Caramel?” Lyra asked.
Bon Bon turned a sweet smile to her coltfriend. “He doesn’t have to worry. This is all for Lyra.”
He coughed, obviously trying to keep from laughing at her.
Lyra for her part just rested her head on the table, trying to hide her blushing face. She wasn’t sure what she was more embarrassed about—the fact that her friends so casually tried setting her up with a stallion, or the fact they talked so brazenly right in front of her.
“Oh! Him!” Bon Bon pointed to a bulky stallion who had just walked into the door. With a mighty shout of “Yeeeaaahhh!” he made his way to a table where a group of ponies waved to him.
“Bulk Biceps?” Lyra asked, looking between her two friends.
“He is perfect!” Blossomforth shouted. “He might look all tough, but he’s a real big softy underneath. He’d be perfect for Lyra.”
With a triumphant grin, she looked at Blossomforth. “And if anypony tried to mess with her, he’d set them straight.” She looked at Lyra. “Go get him!”
Lyra felt her ears fall to the sides of her head. “You want me to just go up and talk to him?”
“Well, how else are you going to start a conversation?” Blossomforth bumped her out of the seat, causing her to land her rump on the hardwood floor. “Now get up there, and talk real sweet to him; don’t forget to bat those eyelashes. If he wants to dance with you, let him.”
Lyra wanted nothing more than to run away at that moment. “Can’t you just… talk to him for me?”
Bon Bon leveled her gaze at her. “Get up there, Lyra, and show some initiative.”
She stood back up and started towards the pegasus stallion but stopped to look back at her friends. They both firmly pointed at her, while Caramel gave her a soft smile of sympathy before a nuzzle on the side of his neck returned his attention back to his date.
Lyra sighed and made her way towards the buffet line as Bulk was already making his way through it. As she walked, her mind raced with all sorts of questions and doubts. What could she say to the pegasus? Hello? Would that be enough? What if he ignored her, what then? The more she thought on it, the more she realized how much of a bad idea it was for her to have come to the party. If she chickened out now, she’d never hear the end of it.
With a resigned sigh, she approached the hulking pegasus. “Um…B-Bulk Biceps?”
He turned and looked down at her with his red eyes. “Yeah?”
She lowered her gaze for a second before looking back at him. “A-Are you enjoying the party?”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Yeah. This is a swell party!”
Her ears flattened at the volume of his tone, and she glanced back at her friends. Blossomforth was pointing at her eyes lashes as she fluttered them, while Bon Bon was motioning her to get on with it.
She turned back and tried her best to flutter her eyelashes at him. “W-would you like to dance?”
He tilted his head her. “Do you have something in your eyes? You’re blinking a lot.”
Her face turned a bright shade of red, and she lowered her head. “Sorry!”
Bulk looked around, appearing uncomfortable. “What are you sorry about?”
“I-I—“ She looked at the punch bowl and her eyes widened. “Would you like some punch?”
An almost-foalish smile crossed his face. “Yeah! I like punch!”
“I’ll be right back.” She trotted towards the punch bowl, a small smile playing across her face. Despite her flub at trying for small talk, maybe she could do better by offering something to drink.
Two glasses levitated, and she filled both with the fruity brew. When she turned back, she noticed more than a few ponies watching her, some smiling in humor—obviously knowing what she was up to. Averting her gaze from those looks, she felt the heat rush up her face once again.
Just as she was about to start conversation once more, her hoof caught on the edge of the table and she tripped. With a surprised shout, she lost her grip on the glasses. The resulting spray painted the white pegasus with a coat of dark red juice. He stood with a blank expression as the drink dripped off of him.
Seeing him so thoroughly coated, Lyra stuttered out a stream of apologies. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She levitated a towel from the table. “Let me—Whoa!” She had tried to stand but managed to step on another pony’s tail. Their yelp caused Lyra to jump and misstep again. This time, she stumbled and fell against the buffet table. Pastries, fruit plates, punch bowls, and all manner of foodstuffs flew out towards the crowd.
When Lyra pulled herself from the table, she rubbed at her head before she gasped at the mess she had inadvertently made. The music had stopped and all eyes of the party goers were on her. Many of them sporting plastered pastries, splashed juice or any number of food-based decorations. She looked towards the table where Bon Bon and the others sat, and saw her friend wiping away a cupcake from her face.
Lyra felt all the gazes pressing down on her, all the judging expressions. She looked around with stricken eyes to see more than a few ponies glowering at her. Bulk Biceps just glared at her through a coat of icing and she could hear the snickers and the muttered oaths.
“There she goes again, messing things up for everypony.”
The vicious words cut through her like a hot knife through butter. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to keep from sobbing. Another pony shouted something, but all she heard was those words in her head.
She felt the tears ring her eyes; she tried to bite her lip to keep it from quivering. A sob escaped her, however, and she tore through the crowd and out the door of the bakery—tears running down her face like the waters of a stream.
“Lyra! Wait!” Bon Bon’s shouted, but was ignored as the unicorn ran sobbing through the night-enshrouded town.
-0-
Lyra wanted to be alone. She didn’t want anypony to see her, or to see anypony—all she wanted was to get away, so she could sort through the turmoil that rolled in her mind like the waves of the sea. To do that, she had gone home to obtain the one thing she always needed when she wanted to be alone. The case hovered near her as she walked through the shrubs towards her special place.
A sad smile crossed her face as she spotted her favorite spot for when she want to be alone—a comfortable tree stump near the local watering hole. When she came out here during the night, she never saw any other ponies, and that suited her just fine. It was her ideal place to lose herself to the one thing she loved more than anything else.
She set her case on the stump and lifted the latches. With a charge of her horn, the lid flipped open to reveal her most prized possession. The moonlight glistened off the gold plating of her lyre, and her smile was warm as she ran a hoof over the instrument. She carefully lifted it out of the case and sat on the stump. The musical notes ghosted around her as she tuned the instrument.
Once the instrument was tuned to her liking, she rested a hoof over a string for a long moment. She took in a breath and started playing. Her hooves played over the strings, the soft tones of the string instrument ghosting around her. As she continued to play one of her favorite songs, she felt the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. Remembering the clutching feeling of her heart when she heard those taunts gave life to the song that she played. She sniffed as she picked up the tempo, playing at higher tones as she remembered the hope she had felt to start with, only for the song to once again take a lower tone at the inevitable end—a fitting end to how her own night ended.
As her hooves played over the fine strings of her lyre, she smile when considered what others would have thought if they saw her playing. They would no doubt wonder why a unicorn would choose to play an instrument with her hooves, when using her magic would have been far more efficient and likely better sounding. For her, there was something about playing these instruments with her hooves that she couldn’t explain. She had learned to play with her magic when she was younger, but there was something far more rewarding to play with her hooves that she had chosen to only play with them.
Memories of the mishap at tonight’s party returned to her, and she felt the tears threatening to rise up again. Instead, she gave soul to her music, losing herself in the soothing melodies of the song she conjured with her lyre. The sound of her playing drifted all around the watering hole as she poured her emotions into her song.
-0-
It had completed its maturity. The acorn had reached just the right size and health that it was ready to fall from its parent tree and embrace the waiting earth to begin its life. It didn’t know, however, that it would perform another service before starting its long life as a healthy oak. The wind knocked it loose from its branch and it fell, ricocheting off the head of a comfortably sleeping pegasus. Its first mission complete, the acorn bounced its way to the ground.
“Oww…” Thunderlane rubbed at his sore noggin. “What was that for?” He looked around with tired eyes. “I was having a good nap too.” He yawned and blinked.
“Wait, what time is it?” He peeked out from under the leaves of the tree to find the moonlight falling across his face. “Oh horseapples, the party! I’m gonna be so late.”
He looked back across the lake and just sat down in a tired grunt. “I must’ve really been tired to sleep so late.” He yawned and stretched his wings to their full wingspan. “Maybe if I hurry, I can catch the end of it.”
Just as he was to take wing, his ears flicked. He lifted his head and turned his ear towards the sound as it drifted through the branches.
“What is that?” He closed his eyes, straining to hear. The sound ghosted through the trees, tickling at the very edge of recognition.
“Is that…somepony playing?” He hopped off the branch and glided to the ground. He made his way through the tall grasses, following the sound out of curiosity.
The closer he got to the source, the slower his pace became. It wasn’t out of fear or caution, but more to listen to the music He closed his eyes to listen as the haunting melody slowly emerged. The wind blew through in a gentle breeze, ruffling through his mane and fur. The chill made the fur along his spine stand on end, but in a pleasant way.
The music paused for a few moments, but soon started back up again. The new tune had a more uplifting tone and he felt energized and light hearted just listening to it. Whoever was playing, they were very good at it.
As he made his way through the grasses, he found himself being joined by a number of woodland critters. A few rabbits hopped past, a few song birds flew above him and he saw a buck and doe all make their way towards the watering hole. Curious, he followed after them.
When he finally found the source of the music, he blinked and his eyes grew wide. His mouth fell open as he spotted the mint-green unicorn playing her lyre—oblivious to the critters and pegasus that watched her.
The image of the unicorn at play, the way the wind rustling her mane around and the glow of the moonlight as it gave her fur an ethereal sheen, all cemented into his mind. Her music captivated him like he had never known. He had heard others play music similar to her, but this… It seemed as if she were plucking the strings of his heart with every flick of her hoof. His breath caught in his throat as he took in the sight before him.
Finally, her song came to an end, and she opened her eyes with a long sigh. She smiled warmly at the small animals as they applauded her performance.
“Simply… amazing,” Thunderlane said.
She gasped and scrambled back, staring at him with wide, horrified eyes. “N-no.”
He held his forelegs up to calm her. “I’m sorry. I—“
“Nonononono! No! This can’t be happening!” Her face turned a bright red, and she grabbed her instrument and case—fleeing from him as fast as her hooves could carry her.
He lifted a hoof to stop her, but she was gone before he could utter another word. His eyes stared in the direction she had gone, too stunned to even give chase.
“...Who was that?” he asked himself. The way she looked when she realized that he was there, listening to her play, it wasn’t at all what he expected. He looked stared at his forehooves thoughtfully before he shook his head. “Whoever she was, she could play.”
With a tired sigh, he took wing and flew for home. He decided that he wasn’t interested in going to one of Pinkie’s parties. He doubted he could have enjoyed it if he had, as thoughts of the unicorn and her reaction plagued his mind.
Later on that night, when he crawled into bed, he couldn’t get the sounds of her playing out of his head—or the image of how the moon seemed to enhance her appearance. The music itself was echoing in his mind as he fell asleep, like a soothing lullaby carrying him into the realm of dreams.
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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I really like this Zodiac.
Keep up the good work!
6135254 Thank you a ton! More to come very soon. Expect the next update this Saturday.
Great start. +1 for not naming it "Thundering Harps" or "Of Harps and Thunder".
This is a really unique shipping choice. Haven't seen it before, so point for originality. As well, it's constructed and written superbly. I love all the characters and the traits and personalities you gave them. Keep up the good work.
So far I like this
8427199
I glad to hear it! I hope you end up enjoying the whole thing.
Don't be hesitant to let me know your thoughts about the story, it's always welcomed. :)
A very good description of someone who has a deficit in Proprioception. People who have this deficiency are often called clumsy, when in fact they have a form of blindness that leaves them unable to tell where they are in relation to the world around them. A bit on the dramatic side, but for those of us who have this problem, this is just life and there is literally nothing that can be done about it.
9695220
I’m glad you like it!
It still amazes me this old story is still being enjoyed to this day, warms my heart knowing it. I hope enjoy it to it’s conclusion!
Look Who's Talking 😏
This is actually a pretty interesting start of a story and the very interesting shipping too as well so Bonbon trying to convince Lyra to come to the party but she felt like she doesn't want to because after that little embarrassment she made the last party wasn't but Bonbon still determined to get her to come and also finding a guy for her and after that Lyra decided to go which bon bon was pretty excited meanwhile up in the sky Thunder Lane was about to relax until rainbow told them about a storm coming and it took them a while to stop it but with enough teamwork they finally stopped the storm and everybody is talking about the party is going to start at sugarcube corner and thunder Lane thinks he could go just because Blossomforth told him to come later that day almost everybody was there and Lyra arrive still kind of nervous about this but she is determined to enjoy the party and her friends try to pick out a guy for her and they chose bulk which is a pretty nice guy and she did talk to him and she got super nervous and not only that and unfortunate event she trip over and made a lot of messes and a couple of ponies were laughing at her out of embarrassment she ran out and she went to the park to calm down while playing with her herp and starting to play but she wasn't alone Thunder Lane was about to get going when he accidentally overslept and he heard the music and he was amazed he said something and Lyra got more embarrassed and just ran off and Thunder Lane felt a shame in basically just left boy again this is an interesting one let's see what's going to happen next