Chapter 1
Ding dong!
That was the doorbell. Lyra curled up under her bed covers, trying to block the noise from reaching her ears.
Ding dong!
Ding dong!
Ding dong!
Ding-
Buzz!
Lyra groaned and pulled her head up, bags under her gold eyes. From what she could hear, the pony at the door had broken her bell. She'd have to get a spell from Twilight Sparkle to fix that up.
Ding dong!
Wait - that was the doorbell. But hadn't it just broken?
Lyra decided to go and explore before she went mad.
The unicorn groggily blinked her eyes and lifted the warm duvet cover off her body with telekinesis. Gently, the material fell on the floorboards. Lyra stood next to it, legs wobbling.
Ding dong!
Lyra gritted her teeth at the exasperating noise and teleported to the door. A smile briefly played at her lips, marvelling that she could use teleportation spells in her current state, but it was quickly wiped off when Lyra felt her head spin with sleepiness.
Lyra flung open the door. "What do you want?" She yelled in the pony's face. "Don't ya understand that..."
"I understand that you have had a long adventure," the pony said with a dazzling smile. "But since I'm your friend I thought that I would come to visit you."
Friend?
"I fixed your doorbell as well." The pony added.
A purple unicorn with a hot pink cutie mark was stood in front of Lyra. Her dark blue forelock which had a pink and purple stripe was trimmed neatly so it was just above her intelligent lavender eyes. A notebook and pencil was in front of her, held by the unicorn's magenta telekinesis.
No. Could this actually be...
"Twilight Sparkle?" Lyra spluttered, her eyes wide.
"Tell me why you're here," Lyra said, warily drinking her soda. "Now."
"Well," Twilight delicately sipped her tea. "I thought that perhaps I could take an interview with you.
"An interview?" Lyra arched an eyebrow.
"Of course!" Twilight looked into the air, her eyes taking up a longing expression. "Imagine it in the papers! My name all over it!"
Lyra shook her head disbelievingly. "But Twilight -"
A huge explosion shook Lyra's words out of her mouth. The house was suddenly filled with door knocks. Lyra's eyes shrunk, as did Twilight's.
"Oh no!" The purple unicorn exclaimed. "They've had the same idea as me!"
Lyra closed her eyes, her horn fizzing with golden light. A loud pop! came from the mint pony. Lyra was no longer visible.
"No!" Twilight searched her notebook. "This wasn't on my schedule!"
Lyra tried to avoid the continuous pony trying to talk to her. A shimmering gold bubble surrounded the unicorn as she desperately tried to find a place where no pony would find her.
"Lyra!"
Lyra ignored the call that was most likely from a photographer.
"Help me!"
At that, Lyra looked up. A white pegasus with a pink and green mane and tail, exactly the same cut-out as Twilight's in fact, was swooping around in the air, desperately flying away from the swarm of pegasi following her.
"Blossomforth!" Lyra skidded to a halt. "Come down here!"
The Element of Kindess flew down and Lyra's shield disappeared for a moment, before appearing again, this time protecting both Blossomforth and herself.
"Thanks!" Blossomforth attempted to smoothen down her ruffled mane. "Should we go and help the others?"
Lyra didn't hesitate. "Yeah."
The two ran forward randomly, Blossomforth flying, their tails waving like a banner in the cool air.
"Um, Lyra?"
"Hmm?"
"How do we find them?" Blossomforth asked, rubbing her hooves together nervously as she landed on the ground.
Lyra stopped. "Oh," she looked up at her friend. "I hadn't thought about that. Maybe we should go to their houses?"
"Okay," Blossomforth flew up in the air again. "Sparkler's nearest."
"Lead the way."
"I'm so happy to be the Element of Laughter!" Sparkler droned in a tired voice. "It's super amazing!"
Blossomforth pointed a white hoof to Sparkler. "There she is!" She yelled, unable to keep her voice down.
Sparkler looked over and her eyes widened. "Lyra, Blossomforth!" A magenta shield appeared faintly around Sparkler.
Lyra shook her head wildly. "No Sparkler!" A yellow ball formed around Sparkler as the pink unicorn joined the two. "You're not strong enough!"
Sparkler rubbed her eyes. "Are we going to Tavi's next?"
"Uhmm..." Lyra looked at Blossomforth.
"Yup." Blossomforth comfirmed.
The trio cantered through the crowd, Sparkler talking with newfound excitement.
'Even though she's got chaos in her hooves,' Lyra thought. 'She's upbeat!'
"Err, guys?" Blossomforth asked uncertainly.
"Yeah?"
"We're going the wrong way."
Lyra facehoofed before spinning around and running the other way.
Blossomforth knocked softly on the oak door. "Octavia?"
There was no reply.
Lyra exchanged a glance with Sparkler and winked. Her horn glowed and Sparkler knocked loudly on the door, but the sound came out ten times louder than usual.
"What happened?" Blossomforth asked, wings flared in surprise. "What did you do?"
"You'll be surprised at what a simple amputation spell can do." Lyra smirked.
"Guys, look!" Sparkler exclaimed excitedly, pointing up into the sky.
A light blue pegasus with curly yellow hair was in the sky, bucking clouds. She looked down and flew to Lyra.
"Hey, Lyra!" Sassaflash flew around the four. "No pony's following me whilst Octavia's got the worst of them in her house!"
"What?!"
"You don't know?" Sassaflash looked mildly surprised.
"Nope!" Sparkler shook her head.
"Hey guys!"
A cheerful grey mare was peering out of the house's window smiling at the five ponies.
"Octavia?" Blossomforth flew up to the earth pony. "Are you okay?
Octavia laughed. "Of course I am!"
"Wait..." Lyra looked up, confused. "What?"