Modulation

by ProBrony

Chapter 5 — Quotidian

— Chapter 5 : Impressions —

Lyra had spent her ride to the art district in silence. How could I have let slip I visited Canterlot after my exodus?, she lamented. Of course Mom and Dad wouldn’t take that well. She sighed, and tried forced herself to think about something else. Being negative was not her cup of tea. Instead, she wondered what Octavia had in store for her. Despite her excitement of meeting this new and accomplished musician, she hoped it ended in bits; she was technically here for business, and not pleasure. Or at least give me higher bit-potential.

Eventually, she arrived at the concert hall. Lyra fished in her bag of bits to pay the cabbie. She noted she was getting painfully low. It wouldn't last her more than two weeks if she really stretched it.

More than two weeks? She recoiled at the thought of being away from Ponyville for that long. Glancing at the bag again, she also hoped that her new friend would help her put some bits back in sooner, rather than later. She threw her saddlebag on and stepped out onto the busy cobbled street.

The Lunaris Concert Hall was simply grandiose. Lyra had to crane her neck all the way back just to see the top. Above the doors, the brilliantly lit gold sign was bright even in daylight, and it was flanked on both sides by gorgeous stained glass windows. On one side, there was Princess Luna looking downcast and remorseful, surrounded by pegasi foals carrying roses. The other was Princess Celestia looking over at her sister lovingly and longingly with a soft smile, surrounded by more flying foals. Lyra appreciated the art, but wondered if Luna did.

Despite the art district's already lengthy history, the Lunaris' seniority reached back farther than any other building in Canterlot. The rumor went that the Princess of the Night's favorite haunt before the fall was a concert hall by the same name in the old capital. After her banishment, Celestia ordained the capital to be moved from its place near Everfree to the top of Canterlot mountain, some say in an effort to try to bury the past. Celestia also decreed that the Lunaris be restored in the new capital, making it the first building built after Canterlot Castle was completed. Many improvements were made on the theater, and the stained glass windows were added as a gift to the fallen princess. Lyra was amused at how forgiving Celestia had been.

Lyra made her way around back to the alley. She laughed as trotted around the building, thinking of how shady her entrance to such a grand of a place was going to be, and wondered if any local ponies were giving her odd stares. In the rear of the building, there were a few doors to the concert hall. All but a hooffull of the doors had no doorknobs and were one way exits to the outside. While waiting, Lyra took to leaning against the wall, but kept switiching which side she leaned on; she found herself too excited to stand still, but didn’t want to come off as a giddy young filly. After a while, one of them opened, and a pony peeked out. Lyra grinned as Octavia caught sight of her and beckoned her over.

"Good, you're on time. Follow me," Octavia said as Lyra approached.

Stepping inside, Lyra found herself in a stairwell. Octavia silently led Lyra up a couple of flights, and through several doors, and up even more stairs. Lyra didn't like the feeling of being drawn into a maze. Her apprehension overrode her desire to maintain Octavia’s unofficial silence, and she chose to ask about something other than their destination.

"Sooo, Octavia, what do you have planned today?"

Without halting her steady march or turning her head, Octavia replied, "We're going to play." She didn't elaborate.

As they continued, Lyra could tell they were nearing the top right corner of the building; if not by time traveled, certainly by steps taken, as she felt the tiniest bit winded. A fleeting thought left her wondering if the city was sapping her energy and her health, but she dismissed it. They neared an old wooden set of double doors, unlike the more regal ones below. Octavia creaked them open, and invited Lyra in.

Inside, Lyra was floored. The room looked like an old studio apartment that was covered from wall to wall with instruments. Every family of instruments had their fair share of representation. There were bassoons, flutes, xylophones, trombones, and much more. In the center, there was a few chairs and an upright piano that obviously called a vacant space along the wall home, but was pushed out for a recent concert. A huge furry circular rug was in the middle under the chairs. Besides all the instruments, the room felt extremely cozy, with planked wooden floors and huge windows. Lyra approached the windows, peering through them.

"Whoa, you can see the entire district form here!" Looking out, she saw the art district in all its glory. Most of the buildings here were two or three stories tall. Due to the circumstances behind the capital’s move to the mountain, it was one of the first districts built, second only to Canterlot Castle. The architecture reflected its age, looking like days long past of knights in shining armor, but with modern advances in construction on top of the old. This city always looked like a work of art in the middle of its creation to Lyra.

Octavia soaked in Lyra’s reactions, and merely smiled. As Lyra turned back, she noticed the final thing that really set the mood. "Oh wow, and you have a fireplace."

"Yes," Octavia nodded, "it is quite a lovely little room."

Lyra walked around the room, inspecting all the instruments. "What exactly is this place?"

Octavia walked over to the piano and lovingly struck a few notes. "My colleagues call it the storage closet, but to me, it is much more than that. Currently, I call it my personal inspiration room, as everypony else rarely comes here. Formerly, what feels like a lifetime ago, I once called it home."

Lyra made an audible gasp. "Wait, you stayed here?"

Octavia answered with a smirk. She walked over to a huge, ancient instrument case. "Take out your lyre, and pick a chair. Come, sit with me in the middle." Cracking open the case, Octavia removed an ancient cello. The poor thing had seen better days, but it would do. Octavia placed it on its side, where it had wheels installed, placed the bow on top of it, and rolled it over to the circle of chairs.

Lyra was sitting patiently and waiting. Octavia paused, confusion clouding her face. "Why are you sitting like that? It looks dreadfully uncomfortable."

Lyra was sitting up with the flat of her back against her chair and her legs hanging over, how she always sat in chairs. She rolled her eyes. "How else would I play if I don't use my magic? Don't mind me, let's just go."

Octavia shook her head, and picked up the bow with her mouth. After bringing the cello upright, she placed the bow into the crook of her hoof.

"Oh, so that's how you do it?"

"It took months of practice before I could find a way to play with the bow without my mouth. But that's also a story for later. There's a few pieces I would liked to play. Let’s start with Trois Poèmes de Stèphan Mallmaré, Maurice Stabel. I know we don’t have the proper instrumentation, however fill in as needed; I’ll be playing melody. I know you were made to learn this piece, right?"

"It's been a long time, I'm not sure if I can remember it all—" Lyra caught Octavia's ever-so-slight frown. "B-But don't worry, let's play. I'll keep up."

Octavia stood next to her cello, and Lyra cradled her lyre. Exchanging a few nods, they began to play.

***

Hours later, the sky outside was a brilliant orange, with red and purple starting to creep in. Their song had evolved to a session of improvisation, and had finally died down, leaving a sense of longing and wonder for Lyra. The pieces Octavia had chosen made her ponder the life of a member of the CPO, to be able to play pieces that reach out so profoundly to others night after night. Lyra concluded it wouldn’t get her to leave Ponyville— not for long, anyways.

After a moment of silence, Octavia spoke up, surprised she was out of breath. "This was quite fun, Lyra."

"Heh, yeah, I'll say so."

"I hoped to play longer, but I have important things to prepare for tomorrow. I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all."

Octavia lowered her bow and set the cello on its side.

"Why are you in town?"

Lyra swallowed. She thought briefly of playing the question off, but the opportunity at hand and Octavia’s stern, unwavering gaze convinced her otherwise. "To be honest... it's because I'm poor."

Octavia laughed. "You have to be affluent to stay in an actual house in the residential district of the capital of Equestria."

"I'm here with my parents, but I myself am poor,” Lyra explained. “I'm trying to make my way without them. I'm in town to make some money, then I'm back off to Ponyville."

"Ponyville you say? I've been told it's a nice place, and that I should visit sometime... when not on business," reflected Octavia.

"You really should, I love it there.” Lyra looked out the window. She knew Ponyville wouldn’t be visible, but she looked nonetheless. She had no idea the town would grow to mean so much to her when she first arrived. “Yeah, a good friend of mine is making me mature up or something. I don't know. I just have to come back with enough bits to carry my own weight."

"Ha, that sounds like a good friend. You should keep them around. Lyra, while you're in town, I'd like to meet like this more often. You are truly talented, and I am deeply curious about what all you can do. However, I know you're on a mission and you want to leave, so maybe if you keep surprising me like you are right now, I can help you out."

"You may not find the bottom of that well in the time I'm here," Lyra grinned.

"You may be quite right. Anyways, I can't meet tomorrow, but how about Wednesday, same time and everything?"

"That's alright, assuming I'm not working by then."

"Yes, hopefully that good fortune does not comes to pass."

Lyra laughed, and returned her lyre to its case. Octavia pushed the cello back to the corner, and approached the door.

As they made their way back down to street level, Lyra had to ask. “Hey, Octavia? How'd you get your cutie mark?” To her surprise, Octavia turned about.

“It's nothing special, really,” she recounted in a mechanical tone. “It's not from playing cello, either. I can play a few other instruments. As a filly, I had a song in my mind for a long time. I was lucky enough to be taught rudimentary musical notation, and when I wrote my first song it appeared immediately.”

“Aw, don't discredit yourself. Of course it’s special. You're a brilliant musician.”

“Maybe so,” Octavia pondered, “however, I'd have more than enough bits to fill your saddlebags if I had one for every musician whose story is like mine.” She resumed walking.

Lyra shook her head and followed, walking the remainder of the journey in silence.

Outside, Octavia waved down a carriage. As it pulled up, she turned to Lyra. "I'm sorry I stole precious job-hunting time away for you."

"Oh, it was nothing. Time spent having fun isn't wasted," Lyra shrugged it off.

Octavia gave Lyra sidelong glance. "I'm not so sure of that. Anyways, let me pay for your carriage fare— I insist," she added as Lyra began to protest.

Lyra stepped into the carriage. Placing her lyre on the seat and closing the door, she asked the driver to hold on a bit. "I don't know what I'll be doing with my life until I run into you again."

Octavia laughed. "I know of a few things that might be up your alley. I know you're well versed in classical, but I can tell you like to have a fun time."

Lyre let loose her big grin and nodded.

"I'm not sure how long you've been away from Canterlot, but the party scene has flourished heavily.” Octavia waved her hoof in the air. “Nobles throw grand parties for the common pony and let new and flashy 'musicians' keep them entertained. For example, there's a hooffull of DJs around here who can really put on a great time. Lots of food, a small amount of games, but a lot of dancing and even more loud music." Octavia shuddered at the thought of the abrasive songs, but could tell Lyra was intrigued, as expected.

"Heh, all that reminds me of a certain party pony from Ponyville."

Octavia smiled. "Yes, I bet it does. Anyways, you should look into it whenever you have free time. I think you'll enjoy it."

"I’ll keep an eye for it."

With that, Lyra headed home.

***

It was almost dark when Lyra slowly eased open her front door. She felt like she was glowing; experiences like that were few and far between in Ponyville, where everyone had talents that were more tailored towards being practical than artistic. She did appreciate being one of the few great musicians in town, but it got boring for a while.

As Lyra approached the kitchen, she could see a light on. Walking in, she saw her father standing near the coffee pot, sipping a brew.

"Hello, Lyra. Where have you been all day?"

"I've been playing my lyre," she answered coolly. She remembered when her parents would retire upstairs shortly after the sun went down, but she guessed he had been waiting to see if she had been productive.

He arched his eyebrows. "That doesn't exactly sound productive."

Lyra almost laughed. Typicl. "That's because you don't know who I was playing with. To make a long story short, this is going to lead to a job, possibly the career you so desperately want me to have. Today, I played my lyre with Octavia."

Granite's eyes narrow. "That name sounds familiar. That earth pony from the CPO?"

Lyra was actually surprised her father was aware of a CPO musician's existence. She figured her mother must have said it in passing. "That's the one. The cellist. She's quite good. She asked to keep playing with me in the near future, and said she'll be asking around to see if I can fit in any—" Suddenly, Lyra found herself in a hug.

"What promising news! Your mother would be proud. I'd prefer if you'd come work for me, but let's face it: hard work is not your forte." Granite was laughing and spinning Lyra round, who was admittedly getting a little dizzy.

The kitchen got brighter. Aria had flicked on the rest of the lights. "Honey, what's going on? Where have you been, Lyra?"

Before she could answer, her father answered for her. "She's been playing lyre with a new friend."

"Wait, what?" Aria had a perfectly good reason to be confused. Normally, her husband didn't approve of any musical activities that didn't end in recognition or a paycheck. "That sounds like something you'd be none-too-happy about."

"She's been playing lyre," Granite said, "with Octavia."

Aria didn’t need the inflection to know who Granite was talking about. The effect was instant. The next second, Lyra was in yet another hug. "Oh my gosh honey, that's amazing! It’s about time you started making progress being a somepony! What's she like? Nopony really knows anything about her. Ooo, did she offer you a place in the CPO? What piece did you play? Was it pieces? Were you with her all day?"

Lyra dislodged herself from her mother. "Relax, there's nothing promised. She only said she'd try to see if there's somewhere I could fit in."

Despite Lyra’s insistence, it sounded like a sure thing to her parents. Their faces were beaming. Lyra wasn't used to this kind of praise for her folks, but she had to admit Octavia's words sounded auspicious.

“This is what we’ve always wanted, honey!” Aria tried calmed down, and asked, “What would you do if you landed a spot in the CPO?"

Where is she getting this ‘we’ stuff? Lyra exhaled. The thought of playing with the CPO was a fragile mirror, and she felt if she looked at it too hard it would shatter. It would be a prestigious position, and an absolute honor. Her father would would be proud, and her mother’s unsettling drive for her to do music would be satiated. However, her thoughts turned to what her heart really yearned: a not-so-quiet country town and the companionship of a mare with a blue and pink mane.

“I’m... not sure,” Lyra pondered. She spoke slow. “I feel lyres are more for smaller ensembles. Personally I’d be very happy, I guess. It would be a big step in establishing my independence. Playing with the CPO would be like a dream.” However, she wasn’t exactly sure if it was her dream.

Granite and Aria were still pleased. “You could do big things, Lyra, if you wanted to. Don’t forget that,” said Granite.

“This is what you’ve been working towards,” Aria added pleasantly. “There’s still a second chance. Make sure to seize it this time, Lyra.”

Granite and Aria stepped out of the kitchen, while Lyra quietly thanked Luna they didn’t press the topic further. She doubted the prestige could ever replace what she had found in Ponyville.

She made her way upstairs, and flopped on her bed. Her room had been tidied up in her absence, probably by her mother.

She closed her eyes. As happy as they were with her perspective endeavors with Octavia, she was frustrated her parents still weren’t on her side concerning her true feelings, and worried about when her parents would find out this wasn’t permanent. Ponyville’s call was too strong to ignore forever. She rolled over, and closed her eyes.

That night, she dreamed of playing with Octavia in front of a filled audience. Luna was sitting side-by-side with her sister, and was beaming, feeling welcomed. After their last note rang out, Lyra looked into the sea of smiling faces and embraced her applause. As she gazed through the crowd, her eyes fell on the doors in the rear. A red-faced Twilight slowly applauded, and a sad Bon Bon turned and walked out the door.

***

Lyra stepped out of a store into the business district of Canterlot. She felt she deserved a lunch.

It had been a busy day filled with walking. There had been so many introductions, conversations, and applications. Lyra felt like she had spoken to every business owner in the district in her pursuit for employment (even if it was far from the truth).

Bon Bon would’ve been proud, she thought. Unfortunately, all that work had landed her nothing. Well, maybe she would give me an ‘A’ for effort?

She looked up, and saw the sun hanging at what she guessed was at the lunch time position. Her stomach confirmed this with a low rumble, and Lyra began to walk down the street.

Lyra craned her neck, looking for any signs that indicated cheap and easy food. This proved easier said than done, as the business district was mostly filled with ponies with jobs, and they could afford a nice meal with a nice-sized portion. She considered heading to the art district, but it was too far away for her tastes.

Finally, she caught a glimpse of a white tower behind a building. It clicked; Canterlot Castle. Instantly Lyra’s disdain turned into anticipation. While the actual castle wouldn’t have any cheap eats itself, the grounds were home to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and more importantly, the Royal University. Where there was a university, there were students, and where there was students, there was cheap food.

Lyra’s pace quickened. She trotted around a corner, and found herself on one of the main streets that lead to the castle grounds. Canterlot was like a semi-circle of sorts, with Canterlot Castle in the middle and the three districts laid out in front of it. From right to left in an arc lay the business district, the art district, and finally the residential district. Each district had two or three main roads that fed into the castle grounds.

The castle appeared to rise up as she approached. Around her, the business buildings began to grow sparse, and the streets widened. As she neared, the gates came into view. The royal grounds were surrounded by a large wall. Thankfully, the gates remained perpetually open for visitors. Lyra walked past the guards, and entered the grounds.

It was just as she remembered. She made her way to the central plaza of the grounds. In front of her, to the north, was Canterlot Castle in all its glory. To her left lay Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Lyra looked upon it fondly. She spent her entire youth here, honing her craft and living without a care. Life was much simpler back then.

Looking to her right, she saw what was once one of her possible futures. Graduating near the top of her class from the Gifted Unicorns program, or the GU program, afforded her many choices. In addition to the offers to join the Canterlot Philharmonic Orchestra, she could’ve attended Canterlot Academy, the next level school that welcomed all pony tribes. She had most of her expenses waived, and had even taken a few classes there while in the GU program that knocked off a year of schooling for her. If the CPO wanted her fresh out of the GU program, they would’ve have fought the Royal Sisters themselves to have her after more focused education. Alas, it wasn’t in Lyra’s heart; back then, getting away was all that mattered to her.

Now, she had returned. Amusingly, instead of entering the Academy to take a class, Lyra was entering it to get a bite to eat. She made her way to the steps leading up to the academy, and walked inside.

Being unfamiliar with the interior, she had to find a directory to locate the cafeteria. Memorizing the journey, she made her way and realized that cheap food at lunchtime came at a price: the lunchtime rush. Lyra groaned and rolled her eyes. She grabbed a tray with her magic as she queued in line.

Eventually, she made it through. Her stomach was having a conversation with itself at this point. She relinquished some more of her precious bits for a daisy sandwich and a side of hay fries, and brought her food to a distant corner of the cafeteria. Just as she was about to reward herself with her delicious sandwich, a pony came approached her from behind. Sensing the newcomer behind her, she looked up with an intent to shoo. She found herself looking at Cheerilee.

“Hello Lyra,” said Cheerilee.

“Hey, Ms. Cheerilee! How’s it going? What perfect timing. Care to join me?” Lyra responded, cheerfully.

Cheerilee nodded and moved to sit. “Just what I was hoping for. It’s nice seeing a familiar face in all this craziness. I feel so out of place. My university days are long behind me, and this place is quite prestigious, more so than my alma mater.”

Lyra scoffed. “Nah, don’t let these younger ponies get to your head,” she gestured at the body of students behind her. “They may be here at the school of all schools, but they’re just spoiled rich kids or eager beavers. We’re all just ponies.”

Cheerilee chuckled. “I guess you’re right. It’s just so exciting to be here, I guess it’s making me nervous.” Her eyes narrowed. “What brings you here? You can’t be a student, I see you working in Ponyville. Or, is that still something you rather not discuss?”

Lyra nudged her tray. “I’m here for food,” she laughed. She downed the rest of her hayfries. “The business district was too rich for my blood, so I figured I’d walk down memory lane and grab an affordable bite to eat. What about you, what brought you here?”

“I’m here for my books,” Cheerilee answered plainly. She didn’t laugh at Lyra’s deflection, but gave a deflated smile. “I thought Twilight’s order would come from the University. I should have known Twilight would only order from Canterlot Castle’s Royal Library itself. It was nice to finally learn that after a morning of searching in the university’s catalog. I was about to head over, but I noticed you as I passed the cafe. If you’re finished, would you care to join me? It would be nice to be in the company of a friend in this big city.”

Lyra gleefully wolfed down the last bite of her sandwich. “Sure!” she said before swallowing. All sense of focus on getting employed was out the window with the potential for an excursion to the castle. “Let me just toss my trash.”

***

The Royal Library was huge. Cheerilee was no longer surprised Twilight had missing books; Golden Oaks Library could fit inside of this library, branches and all. The front desk was manned by a dozen ponies. The reading space was inset into the ground, and filled with almost fifty tables of various sizes. The shelves resided in the back of the impossibly large room, towering and mazelike, and a selection of pegasi and unicorns retrieved books from the top shelves for those needing a hoof. Lyra whistled.

“I... I didn’t know it would be this... extensive,” Cheerilee remarked.

“This is gonna take all day. This place needs a map,” said Lyra, rolling her eyes.

“Hold on. I think I’ll just ask the front desk.” Cheerilee made her way to the front desk. After a quick exchange, the librarian rang a bell, and a soft green pegasus with a chalk white mane flew over. More words, and Cheerilee and the pegasus walked back to Lyra.

As they walked up, Cheerilee gave the introductions. “Lyra, this is Gentle Breeze. Gentle Breeze, this is my friend Lyra Heartstrings. He’s offered to lead us to my books.”

Gentle Breeze was clutching a list between a couple of his feathers. He glanced at it, looked at the neighboring book shelves, and seemed to come to a conclusion. “Right this way, ladies,” he said, and the three ponies entered the book maze.

They walked for minutes, with no detectable rush. The isles were just wide enough for two ponies to walk by each other. Gentle Breeze lead, with Lyra bringing up the rear.

Lyra being in the rear was a mistake. Despite abandoning the school life, she still appreciated the knowledge surrounding her, and she was doing her best to read as many spines as she could. She preferred a more hoofs-on learning experience, but hey, even the best scores of music have to be written down sometimes.

Eventually one caught her eye. Earthly Concertos of the Post-Discordian Era. She skid to a halt, and plucked it from the shelf with her golden aura. She set it on the floor and quickly started hoofing through it. The book was about what she thought it was, Earth pony music. There were so many novel ideas. Lyra couldn’t believe these songs were played without magic, the notes were so furious, the melodies so passionate, the—

“Ahem, Ms. Lyra?”

Lyra looked up to see Gentle Breeze and Cheerilee looking at her from the end of the isle. She blushed, and set the book back on the shelf.

As they walked, Gentle Breeze would periodically fly up to the top shelf, return with a book, and place it in Cheerilee’s bag.

As they went along, Lyra found yet another book. Earth Pony Pieces for Cello sat plainly on a bottom shelf. Instantly, Lyra thought of Octavia, and snapped it up. She levitated it up to her face, and kept walking.

The book was filled with pieces for cello written by or for Earth ponies. Lyra glanced at the checkout slip, and saw the book hadn’t been checked out in a number of years. Feeling pleased with her find, she slipped it into one of her saddlebags and looked up to find herself alone.

Instantly, Lyra facehoofed and groaned. This library was not where she wanted to go lost in. Instead of calling out, she decided to simply walk back to the lobby. She set the book down, and began walking.

As she wandered around, she realized she definitely should have stayed with Gentle Breeze and Cheerilee. The library section she had found herself in was incredibly different from before. She must have been in a wing, because the ceilings were remarkably shorter than she remembered.

Lyra took a left, then a right, and another left indiscriminately. Her last turn brought her down a row of books with shelves leading off to her sides. As she was walking, she spotted the end of shelves down one of the isles. She galloped to the end, expecting to find herself in the foyer. Instead, she found herself in another part of the building, facing a sign that read ‘Keep Out’. Lyra groaned again.

She glanced down the hallway. She had entered on a far end, and it stretched for a while. There was a lavish carpet stretching the length of the hallway, with long and slim tapestries. Shields and swords adorned the length of the hallway. Lyra was fairly certain she was on the opposite end of the building.

Still feeling the sting of adventure (barely), Lyra figured since she was here, she’d have a look around.

Walking along the hallway was quiet. The combination of the rug and tapestries deadened sound considerably, keeping her hooffals silent. About halfway down, she noticed a door and a locked gate facing each other. Peering out the window of the door, she could see outside, and two Solar guards facing away at attention. Lyra quickly shrunk away, and turned to face the gate. Behind it was a darkened room. Glancing at the sign atop the gate, Lyra read that this was the Star Swirl the Bearded wing.

“Whoa, that old coot has a wing? I guess Professor Shimmer Tome wasn’t exaggerating his importance all those years ago,” she said to herself. She laughed, very much surprised. She approached to the gate, and looked inside, trying to get a good look. Inside she could see shelves, much shorter than the ones in the main library, arranged in a circular pattern around the middle of the room, surrounding a giant hourglass with a sunroof above it. She reached for the handle.

“—That sounds incredibly odd. Why was she here, sir?”

Lyra froze up, hearing voices from the other end of the hall. Someone was coming.

“I wouldn’t know, she had a private audience; even we weren’t allowed in. I didn’t like it one bit. We are her guards,” said a second, much deeper voice. This voice was in a foul mood.

Two guards! Lyra panicked. While she doubted trespassing in a forbidden area of the Canterlot grounds would warrant the most extreme punishment, she couldn’t afford being unable to receive word from the jobs. Sshe could only imagine what Octavia would think if her new promising friend ended up in jail for a spell, or worse, if she was unable to make a session. Octavia rubbed her as a pony who would probably turn her nose up at such an idea.

“That’s interesting, sir. Was it just her?”

“Yes, just her. We never get just one of the Elements just by themselves, do we? It’s crazy, the strongest magic in Equestria being trusted to a bunch of young, childish mares. I don’t know what the Princess sees in them, or what she sees in her. They’ve gotten lucky, but they’re far from worthy of being our ace in the hole.”

Lyra looked back down the hall, and knew she wouldn’t be able to cover the distance in a run before the guards would be around the corner. This is not what I needed. The voices came closer.

“Did you ever find out what was discussed, sir?”

“Not exactly. Not exactly sure it was a discussion, either. As my men were outside, they heard a raised voice, then spotted the mare flying out of Canterlot Castle and into the city faster than I’ve ever seen before. We have ponies looking for her in the districts, on Celestia's orders.”

Lyra decided her best bet was to simply turn and walk back to the other end of the hall. Hopefully they won’t bother her if they didn’t feel she was important. She took up a nonchalant stroll and tried to keep as whimsical as possible.

“That probably explains the lack of guards around the castle grounds today.”

“It’s not just that. Lunar Knights have been dispatched to Ponyville to find out what’s up, Luna’s orders.”

Lyra flinched as she heard the younger guard gasp. She faltered, but continued to her walk. She began to rush; she wanted to be as close as to the entrance as possible.

“The Lunar Knights? Just what in the hay is going on, sir?”

“It sounds precarious. Think about it, we have an Element hiding out in the city, refusing to return and appear before the Princesses, and by the sounds of it Twilight Sparkle may be missing and—”

“—H-hey, you there! What are you doing in this wing?”

Lyra paused. They had found her. She slowly turned around.

“Oh, me?” she asked innocently. “I seem to have gotten lost.”

The younger guard’s face softened. “Oh, I’m sorry miss.”

The older guard rolled his eyes and shoved his younger companion. “How’d you get lost here when there’s a sign? Come here, I’m going to need you to come with us.”

Lyra slowly approached the guards, her eyes cast downward. She felt like she was walking through water at the bottom of the ocean. She tried to think of a white lie to keep her from trouble, but no matter how fast her mind spun its wheels, it was going nowhere. She gulped, the last thing she wanted was to spend a few nights in Canterlot Castle’s jail. Besides the obviously bad ‘jail’ part of the ordeal, Lyra was sure Octavia would be more than cross with her.

Octavia would finally show some other emotion besides stern or tart. She would have laughed to herself if she could risk it, but something told her the guards wouldn’t be appreciative of it. As she faced her consequences, she started to sweat, and hoped someone was watching out for her.

Author's Note:

Shout out to Sqarish Octagon. He's been reviewing all my stuff, and has taken my story from lame to fame. Thanks to him, these chapters are only taking months, not seasons.

Comments

[AngryMeerkat]

I feel like the first 2 chapters are a mistake. As much as I love the writing and the build up and the anguish, none of that is paying off. This story could be much more interesting if you establish Lyra as a main character first, and then leave bits and pieces like the guard's conversations, Twilight appearing covered in blood, and so on scattered around for her to uncover.

I assume they eventually meet, but right now I've got this queasy, rotting feeling in the pit of my stomach from the unresolved murder of Rarity, and that dark voice isn't being being explained. Despite those being my most pressing concerns, let's go to Lyra, who's in Canterlot learning what it means to be mature.

I can't tolerate the distance you're putting between what I see as the important bits of the story, and that's not including the next few months, hopefully by which time you release more chapters. If the recent stuff was told by itself, I'd be invested and patient, because it's a really well-written story of coming home and balancing expectations and all that, but COME ON, a main character got EXPLODED and we're over here discussing how hard it is to live up to your dreams?

You've got micro down, take some time to work on your macro.