Chapter One

View Online

“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.

Chapter Two

View Online

It wasn’t one of those pleasant days at work, Thunderlane thought to himself as he moved another cloud into place. It was a day that had been scheduled for a rainstorm, and he found his down time to be absent. He could see many ponies below rushing to and fro to prepare for the upcoming squall. Rain barrels were set, outdoor furniture was put away, and foals moaned their disappointment as they were told to come inside.

He zipped over to move another of the collected rain clouds, and started pushing it to its destined place, when he saw Blossomforth fly towards him.

“Hey, Blossomforth,” he said, flapping his wings to move the stubborn cloud.

“Good morning, Thunderlane. Did you sleep okay?” she asked as she helped him move the larger cloud into its place.

A snort escaped through his nose. “I slept well enough.” He rubbed at the back of his head. “Sorry for skipping out on the party, guess my nap took longer than I thought it would.”

She grimaced. “It’s all right. The party didn’t turn out that well anyway.”

He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow at her. “What happened?”

The two grunted as they worked with the stubborn cloud. “Let’s just say it was accidentally ruined by a friend of mine. She didn’t mean too, but…” She trailed off with a sigh. “It wasn’t pretty.”

“Sorry to hear that,” he said as they moved the cloud into place.

They looked up as they saw Rainbow give the hooves up for the clouds to start raining.

Together the weather team hopped on the clouds, bouncing in place as the water-soaked nimbuses let fall their stored moisture. Thunderlane jumped and skipped cloud to cloud as the team started the weekly rain.

He turned back as Blossomforth yelled after him. “Hey! The rest of us are going to go grab a bite to eat at the fast food joint in town. You wanna go with us?”

He shrugged after a second’s thought. “I brought my lunch today, but I’ll eat with you.” He looked at the cloud where his lunchbox waited for him. “I’ll get my stuff and catch up.”

The cerise maned pegasus smiled wider. “Okay, I’ll let the others know.” She waved and took off towards the other pegasi who waited on her.

Thunderlane watched her go for a moment before flying over to collect his lunchbox. As he gathered it, he paused for a second before sitting down on his haunches with a huff. He rubbed at his face as he stared ahead, giving a soft groan. For some reason, he couldn’t focus. Every time he tried to focus on his work or on anything, his mind seemed to stray. Always his thoughts were pulled back to the events of last night. That unicorn, sitting on the tree stump playing her lyre and the music she played haunted his thoughts even in waking. It wasn’t just the music, it was her. The moment she had opened her eyes from her playing to smile at the animals around her, he saw what had to have been her heart in those gold irises. She had been truly happy, until her eyes turned to panic when he had said something. That fear he saw unsettled him more than he cared for. Was he really responsible for causing her distress?

He growled. Why was it bugging him so much? He didn’t even know this unicorn. He had seen her walking around town before, but he never actually spoke to her. She always seemed to be in her own little world when going about her business. Why did he feel so guilty about ruining what might have been something special for her?

He muttered to himself at the obviousness of his own question.

With a sigh, he collected his lunch box and flew below the clouds towards the restaurant. As he flew, he watched the streets below him, and his eyes settled on a hooded pony who was darting through the rain-slicked streets.

“Who is that?”

-0-

With the rain pouring down in rivets, and knowing that few others would be out in the weather, Lyra pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and dashed into the streets. Now was the perfect opportunity to do her errands with as few ponies seeing her as possible. The heavy rain pounded on the material of her cloak as she ran, causing a steady droning in her ears.

Cantering through the streets, her hooves splashed puddles and sprayed the water all over her legs and belly. She ignored the dampness as she arrived at her destination. The entry bell rang as she pushed open the door. The smell of fresh daisies and other flowers calmed her as she pushed her hood back. She saw Daisy and Roseluck setting their wares on the shelves, happily chatting with each other. Both turned their heads as they heard the entry bell ring overhead.

“My goodness, we certainly didn’t expect anyone in this rain,” Roseluck said as she got to her hooves. “Hello and welcome to Flowers and Things, anything we can help you with?” Roseluck’s eyes widened a bit as she spotted her customer. “Lyra? What are you doing out in this rainstorm?”

Lyra sighed. “I… need my groceries.”

“But in this weather?” The red-maned mare looked at her with a tilt of her head. “Is everything all right? You don’t look so well.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Just…” She gave a half-hearted shrug. “Can I buy some daisies and clover? I’m thinking about a nice salad for tonight.”

Roseluck smiled and nodded. “We can get you taken care of.”

As Lyra paid for her food, she couldn’t help but smile a bit at Roseluck. “How is Post Haste?”

Her cheeks turned a red that rivaled her mane. “He’s doing fine. We’re just settling in.” She passed the bag over to Lyra.

Lyra giggled and used her magic to place the bag in her saddlebags. “Married life suits you, Rose.”

Rose gave a long, happy sigh. “It does.”

Lyra’s sigh was anything but. “I doubt I’ll ever be as lucky.”

“Now, Lyra, don’t say that.” Rose gave her an encouraging smile. “You never know when a stallion will fall out of the sky, and fall head over fetlocks for you.”

Lyra snorted and turned for the door. “Tell Post Haste I said ‘hi’.”

“I will.” She pushed the drawer to the register closed. “Be careful in the rain.”

Lyra smiled a wan smile and pulled her hood over her face again. She took in a breath and ran out into the storm, pausing long enough to close the shopkeeper’s door. The rain hadn’t let up in the slightest and her hooves threatened to slide out from under her. Not wanting to risk hurting herself, she slowed to a walk.

The sounds of the falling rain as it struck homes and trees alike sent soothing thoughts through her. The rain had always been a sound she used to calm her nerves after a stressful day. She even went so far to open her windows just so she could listen to it fall. It had often served as inspiration for her music, that which she had always kept hidden to herself.

A blush crept on her face and she lowered her eyes. What used to be hidden, she corrected. That stallion had heard her playing, had seen her when she was alone to where she could let the feelings of her heart out. He had seen her during one of her most private moments. It was worse than the time she went hiking and had to use a tree when nature called only to be spotted by a picnicking family.

Her blush grew fiercer and she picked up her pace to a trot. The sooner she got home, and the less ponies that saw her, the better. After the party, she couldn’t even—

“Kind of wet out for running, ain’t it?”

She reared back with a scream, sending both her cloak and saddlebags to the wet pavement. Her mane stood on end until she looked above her. Her irises shrunk to mere pinpoints and her jaw fell open as she saw the pegasus from last night. He stared down at her with much the same expression.

“Wait… You’re the mare I saw playing at the watering hole.”

She closed her eyes and dashed away before he could say another word.

“Hey! Wait!”

She lowered her head and ran through the slick streets of Ponyville, not daring to look back to see if she was pursued or not. Noticing a stack of barrels, she swerved and dove behind them. Daring a peek past the barrels, she looked around warily for any sign of him. When she didn’t see anypony else moving around, and with nothing in the air, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Lost him.”

“You forgot your things back there.” She heard his voice from behind her.

With a squeak, she took off again. Her legs worked in a blur to carry her away. She ran until she found the marketplace, which she was thankful was bare of anyone besides herself. Without a thought, she dove into a stall with tall ceramic vases and hid behind them.

“How does he keep up with me?” she whispered to herself.

“How much longer are you going to keep running? I just—“

Again, she took off in a mint-colored blur. Rather than try to hide, she fled flat out for her home. She turned down the lane that would lead her there when she heard his voice above her.

“Please! Just stop! I only want to talk to you!”

She looked over her shoulder to see him beating his wings hard to keep up with her. “Just leave me alone!” she screamed.

“I’m not stalking you, I swear!.. Despite what this might look like. I only want to talk.”

“I don’t—“ A startled gasp escaped her as her hooves slipped out from under her. She skidded across the wet pavement to crash into a shrub with a loud, “Oomph!”

He winced as he landed by the shrub. “That looked like it hurt.” He looked around the plant for the unicorn. “Are you all right?”

“Go away,” the shrub said.

He rolled his eyes, a smirk crossing his face. “I’d rather not talk to a shrub. Please come out.”

“No."

He sighed, lowering his head. “Look, I want to apologize. I didn’t mean to scare you last night. I swear it.”

The shrub didn’t move.

“When I heard your playing… Well… it was amazing. I just—“ he groaned. “I am no good at this.” He looked back at the shrub. “Let me start again, I’m Thunderlane, part of the weather team. Will you please come out of that shrub so I can talk to you?”

“No,” the shrub said again, though not with the harshness from earlier.

He wiped the rainwater out of his eyes. “Why not?”

“…Because you’ll laugh at me, or make fun of me.”

His head snapped back,eyes widening at the response. “Why would I do something like that? I only want to talk. I swear by Celestia’s name I won’t laugh at you.”

The silence was cut only by the falling rain.

Just before he was to turn away, he heard the shrub speak again. “..You-You promise?”

He smiled some. “I promise, I won’t laugh.”

After some hesitation, she climbed out of the shrub, her golden eyes downcast. Bits of shrubbery, twigs and mud clung to her coat in places. When she finally looked up at him, he saw a smear of mud run alongside her cheek. For some reason, this made him smile.

She looked away. “You are going to laugh at me.”

His eyes widened and he shook his head, waving his forelegs at her. “No nononono. I wasn’t going to laugh, I swear. It’s just…”

She looked back at him, the sad expression touching his heart. “Just?”

He let a soft smile cross his face. “You have something there.” He pointed towards his own cheek for emphasis.

Her eyes widen and she rubs at her face, only smearing the mud further. “If I knew you were going to make fun of me, I wouldn’t have bothered!” She started walking towards her house, her nose held up high.

“No! Wait!” He flew up next to her. “That is not what I was saying. I am serious when I said I wanted to apologize, I really mean it.”

She harrumphed and stomped towards her house, the pegasus following after her. She glanced over her shoulder at him and frowned. “You can leave now.”

He shook his head. “Not until I get a chance to apologize.”

She looked away and climbed the stairs to her home. “Then stay in the rain.” She closed her door in his face and turned away. The knock at her door caused her hackles to stand on end. She whirled and opened the door curtly.

“What?!”

He sheepishly held up her saddlebags, all of her bought food held within.

Blinking, she felt her ire melt away faster than ice in the summer. She looked away as she took hold of her saddlebags with her magic. “…Thank you.” She closed her door, eager to be left alone, and no one to see her.

“Please… I really just want to say I’m sorry,” she heard his voice say from the door. “I realize I might have found you when you didn’t want to be, and I’m sorry for that.” She closed her eyes and slumped against her door.

“Can I at least get your name?” She lowered her head at the question, and the subtle plea in his tone. She sat there for a minute, shame and embarrassment running through her mind. Was she really being fair, or was she just being stubborn? What had he really done for her to be so mean to him? It could have been an accident, but what if— she closed her eyes, not wanting to think any more.

She heard him turn away from the door, but not before he uttered one last time. “I’m sorry.”

The way he said it, she knew without a doubt that he meant it. She lifted her face and took in a deep breath. “I’m Lyra.”

She heard his hoofsteps stop and turn back towards her door. “What?”

Standing up ,she used her magic to open her door again. She peeked around the corner to find him staring back at her, his expression holding the faintest tinge of hope. “Lyra—“ she continued. “—Lyra Heartstrings.”

His smile grew. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lyra.” He looked away sheepishly. “I really am sorry for stumbling over you last night—if I upset you, I didn’t mean to.”

A slow smile crossed her face as she watched him stand in the rain, the falling water soaking his mane and fur to the skin. “It’s… all right. Nopony had ever been there before so… I thought that…” She looked away, a blush creeping up her face.

“You were all alone?” he supplied.

She nodded.

“Why would you waAhh—“ a sneeze interrupted him, and he wiped at his face. “S-Sorry.”

His sheepish smile and the sight of him in the rain caused her to giggle. She looked back in her home for a second before looking back at him. “You’re getting soaked. You can come in… to dry off. If you want.”

His smile grew and he nodded. “Thank you.”

She stepped aside and let him into the house. She closed the door with a charge of her horn and saw that he still waited in the tiled foyer.

“I didn’t want to drip all over your home,” he explained to her curious look.

Her smile grew at his thoughtfulness. “I’ll get you a towel, hold on.”

She walked into her bathroom to collect one of her mint-green towels before looking at her reflection in the mirror. The sight almost caused a whine to escape her. She was filthy! She had a guest in her house—a stallion of all things—and here she was covered in mud and twigs! As badly as she wanted to at least wash her face, she knew he was still waiting in the foyer for her.

After a drying himself, and returning the soaked towel to dry—as well as a quick clean up herself—Lyra returned from the bathroom to see him looking around her home.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked, privately wishing she had a chance to have cleaned up some before inviting another in to her home.

He looked back at her. “Oh, no. I was… just liking what you did with your place.” He muttered to himself. “Hope that didn’t sound creepy?”

She smiled a bit. “T-Thank you.”

They stood there for an awkward moment before Lyra spoke up. “Thank you for picking up my groceries. I wouldn’t want them to go bad in the rain.”

A grin grew across his face. “It’s not a problem. Like I said, I didn’t mean to scare you, I only wanted to talk. I was actually heading to—” His eyes widened and he looked out the nearby window. “Oh dang, I was supposed to meet the guys for lunch.” He sighed. “And I left my lunch back on the clouds.”

Lyra was about to apologize but was cut off by a sudden, loud growl that emanated from the pegasus’s stomach.

His dark fur took on a deep red hue and he rubbed at the back of his head. “Sorry about that.”

It took some effort but she managed to swallow back her laugh. As she watched him, a sudden idea came to her. “How about I make something to eat? I was going to make myself something when I got home and…” She lowered her head, a flush creeping up on her cheeks. “If you want to eat something that I cook that is.”

Before he could utter another word, his stomach settled the dispute for him with another loud growl. He a gave a nervous chuckle. “Actually, I’d love something to eat. Something warm would be better than a cold daisy sandwich.”

A small chuckle escaped her this time as she turned for her kitchen. “Come sit down and I’ll get started.”

-0-

As she and Thunderlane finished up a midday meal, Lyra concluded that she wouldn’t have to worry about leftovers. The stallion easily ate his food and just about all the extra she made. Still, she couldn’t help but smile when he gave a content sigh after finishing his third plate of food.

“Wow, that was really good,” he said as he smacked his lips. “I’ve never had clover and asparagus like that before.”

She smiled faintly, a small blush creeping up on her face. “You haven’t had sauteed greens before? It’s not that hard to make, really.”

He put a hoof to his muzzle and belched softly. “‘Scuse me.” He shook his head to her question. “I haven’t. Usually when I make myself something to eat, it’s something fast like sandwiches or soups. I… really don’t cook often.” He tilted his head. “Except when my brother comes to visit, but that’s about it.”

Lyra blinked. “You live alone?”

He shrugged a bit. “Yeah.” An eyebrow raised faintly as he asked, “Why?”

Her eyes widened and she was quick to avert her gaze. “N-no reason. I was just curious.”

He hummed and looked around her home again. “What about you? There isn’t a coltfriend who is going to pulverize me for having lunch with you, is there?”

Her face turned a brighter shade of red, and she squinted her eyes shut to try to control it. “N-n-no. I-I don’t have a c-coltfriend.” She took in a deep breath to calm herself. “I live alone too.”

He genuinely looked surprised. “Really? I wouldn’t have thought that. As good as you cook, I’m—” He stopped himself with a mutter. “Sorry, that wasn’t going to come out well.”

She snorted a quick laugh, looking back at him. “No, thank you for the compliment. I just…” She sighed again. “I’m just not used to talking to stallions, especially in my home.”

He smiled wide. “Well, it’s not everyday a mare invites me to a meal.” He again covered his muzzle as a belch escaped him. “Thank you, really.”

A smile slowly made its way across her face. “...You’re welcome.”

Thunderlane looked towards the window as the sunlight started to stream through and his eyes widened in panic. “Oh man! I’m supposed to be out helping clear the clouds with the storm over!” He stood and bumped his front, left knee on the table—bouncing it around with a loud clatter.

“Are you okay?” she asked as he held his knee, grimacing.

He stretched his leg and nodded. “I’m fine, but I gotta go!” He ran out the door but stopped at the base of the stairs to the home.

“Lyra,” he said, turning back towards the house.

He stood at the door and tilted his head at him. “Yes?”

He rubbed at his head again, a faint blush creeping up on him again. “I’d… like to take you to lunch one day soon. You know… to return the favor for lunch today.”

She stared at him for a long moment, before she felt a light headed for a moment. She smiled at him and nodded. “I-I think I’d like that.”

His smile was wide and instantaneous. “All right!” His eyes widened and he grinned sheepishly. “I’ll see you soon, gotta go!” He flared his wings and took off into the sky.

Lyra stood in her door frame, watching him fly away. She took in a deep breath through her nose and swore the smell of freshly fallen rain had never been more pleasant.

-0-

He wasn’t sure what it was. The way the air seemed to ruffle his feathers and fur as he flew, or coolness after a rain, but whatever it was, he liked it. Thunderlane flapped his wings idly towards the cluster of clouds where his co-workers were already hard at work. His earlier rush faded to the back of his mind as he flew.

Not only was she a great music player, but she was a fantastic cook! He shook his head as he wondered how somepony as amazing as Lyra could go unnoticed. Despite his awkwardness in asking her to lunch, the knot he had formed in his stomach had unraveled the moment she said yes. He had asked other mares to lunch before, but when she said yes, it felt different. It felt… good.

“Hey, Thunderlane! Where’d you get to?” he heard Rainbow Dash yell as he caught up to the weather team.

"Sorry, Boss. I lost track of time,” he said as he immediately got to work pushing the clouds away from Ponyville.

“You mean you were napping!” she accused. “I should totally dock your pay for slacking.”

He looked at her and saw the teasing smile on her face and he knew the threat was a hollow one. “If you did that, Boss, who’d pay for the drinks tonight?” he said with a mocking smile.

She glowered at him as the others of the team had a laugh. “Don’t tempt me, Thunderlane.” She turned to the others of the team. “All right, team. Let’s get this rain to the fields so the wind can carry it towards Canterlot. Let’s go, double time!”

Thunderlane soon found Blossomforth helping him with a cloud that stubbornly refused to move. “Were you really napping, Thunderlane? We were wondering why you didn’t show up for lunch.”

He grunted as the cloud finally moved from their combined pushing. “Nah, I went and had my lunch under a tree. Just wanted to enjoy hearing the rain fall, that’s all.”

She frowned but nodded. “Oh… Well, maybe another time? It’s been a bit since we did something together.”

He looked at her, tilting his head. “What do you mean?”

Her face turned red for a moment. “I meant with the team. We haven’t done anything together as a team in a while.”

He smiled at her and nodded. “Right, we’ll have to go bowling again. It’s been forever since we last did that.”

She smiled weakly. “Yeah... bowling sounds like fun.”

As their work day ended, Thunderlane gathered his lunch box from the cloud he had left it on. He opened the box to find his daisy sandwich and potato chips still waiting for him. He sighed as he closed the box. “Guess I have supper tonight.”

He tied his lunch box to his saddlebag and flew for home, completely unaware of the eyes that watched him.

"I thought he said he ate his lunch?” Blossomforth said to herself. “Why did he lie to me?”

Chapter Three

View Online

Lyra beamed as she trotted through the middle of Ponyville. The noontime sun warming her fur as she trotted down the street reminded her of just how wonderful of a day it was. The birds chirped their approval at the soft breeze, and her fellow ponies all seemed to have happy smiles on their faces as they went about the business. For her own part, Lyra’s own step had a happy spring to it that drew more than a few curious glances. Some smiled and chuckled at her, while others, knowing what a step like that meant, smiled warmly.

If Lyra had known, she might have been embarrassed and slowed her pace; at the moment though, she didn’t care. In her mind, she was recalling the first date she and Thunderlane had gone on. While he had said it was a lunch between friends, she saw his blush and knew he knew it was more than that.

When he asked her if she wanted to do it again, it took all of her willpower to keep from squealing in joy like a filly.

Since then, they’ve gone on a few more lunches and even a stroll together. Remembering them brought a smile to her face, which only grew as she thought of the nice dinner they would have later on that night. Ponyville might not have had the luxurious eateries like Canterlot had, but she didn’t really mind. Maybe on later dates they could—

She shook her head to clear those thoughts. ‘One thing at a time, Lyra, one thing at a time,’ she told herself as she walked down the path towards the park in Ponyville.

Her thoughts drifted again as she walked. She thought of Thunderlane again, but her thoughts also drifted to new song that had been bouncing around her brain. It was a song that she had only recently been inspired to write. She wasn’t exactly sure where it had come from, but one day, it appeared out of nowhere and it had stuck ever since.

The nights when she practiced the song, she felt… different. Most of her other songs were outlets for when she was having a bad day, or when she wanted to cry. This new song though… she couldn’t put it to words.

“Lyra! Over here!”

Her eyes widened as she was brought back to reality and saw that she had made her way to the central fountain in the park. She shook the last webs of her thoughts away, and waved back to Bon Bon as the earth pony greeted her.

“Hello, Bon Bon, how’re you doing today?” Lyra asked as she walked up to the bench that Bon Bon was lying across.

Bon Bon’s smile almost reached as wide as Pinkie’s typically did as she spoke. “I’m so excited! Caramel agreed to go with me to Canterlot to do some shopping. Not just to buy supplies for the store, but to also help me find something to wear when we go to watch the talent show.”

Lyra tilted her head curiously. “Talent show?”

Bon Bon rolled her eyes and sighed. “Lyra, you really need to get out more.” She chuckled as Lyra tried to sputter an objection. “The talent show that Ponyville is going to host in a week. The Ponytones are going to make a guest appearance after the winner is announced.”

Lyra finally smiled as she sat on the bench next to her friend, leaning against the back of it. “I guess it wouldn’t be fair if the Ponytones were in the competition.”

When Bon Bon didn’t respond she turned her head to find her friend looking at her oddly. “What?”

“How do you feel comfortable sitting like that?”

Lyra looked down as her back rested against the bench and her lower hooves touched the ground. “What? I’m not slouching am I?”

Bon Bon shook her head. “Forget it, Lyra.” The earth pony dug around in a bag before she found a bottle of water. “So what’s new with you? Catching up on your reading?”

There was nothing Lyra could’ve done to keep the smile from appearing instantly. “Oh, nothing…”

Bon Bon eyes narrowed to slits. “Lyra, you’re lying to me again! Out with it, what’s going on?”

She averted her gaze, her smile turning sly. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

Her friend huffed, her tail swishing in annoyance. “Fine then. Don’t tell me. See if I care.” She lifted her water bottle and took deep drink.

“I’m seeing somepony,” Lyras said so quickly that it came out almost like a sneeze.

Lyra privately admitted that saying that while Bon Bon was drinking wasn’t the best of ideas, but it was funny to see her spit out her drink across the grass.

Bon Bon coughed and sputtered before she got her breath back. “You what? Who? Who is it!”

Lyra finally got her giggles under control and gave her friend a teasing smile. “I’m not telling.”

The way her friend’s eyes widened in outrage brought about another fit of giggles to the unicorn. “Lyra!”

“What?” she managed between chuckles.

“Tell me!”

“No.”

Bon Bon grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close to look her directly in the face. “Lyra, I’ve been waiting ages for you to tell me that you have a special somepony, and you’re not going to tell me who!? Out with it! Now!”

She shook her head. “Nuh uh.”

Bon Bon shook her a bit. “Tell me!

“Nope.”

Bon Bon pressed her nose into Lyra’s. “Lyra,” she growled almost threateningly.

Lyra turned her nose up. “Not happening.”

“Teellllll meeeeeeeee!” Bon Bon shook her so hard that she felt her eyes swimming in her head, but she remained steadfast in her refusal to talk.

Finally, Bon Bon let her go and slumped as if all the energy had be sapped out of her. “Can’t you at least give me a little hint?” she pleaded in a tiny voice.

Lyra tapped a hoof to her chin. “I don’t knooooooowwwww…”

The look her friend gave her would rival a filly asking her parents for a new toy in its cuteness. “Please?”

Laughing that she finally had something over her friend, she relented. “He’s lives here in Ponyville.”

If Bon Bon could have incinerated her with a glare, Lyra admitted she would have been a pile of ash by now. “Lyra!”

Lyra’s mane bounced as she shook her head. “I’m not telling.”

Bon Bon huffed and crossed her forelegs in a pout. “I didn’t think you’d be so cruel, not telling me who your special somepony is.”

Lyra laughed and wrapped her friend in a hug. “It’s payback for all those times you teased me about you and Caramel.”

Her friend tried, but ultimately failed to keep her smile from growing. “I suppose that’s fair,” she muttered before returning the hug. “I’m just glad you finally found someone.” They sat back on the benches comfortably. “Can’t you tell me anything? Just a little something more than he’s just from Ponyville?”

A sly grin grew on Lyra’s muzzle again. “Nope.”

“Worth a shot,” Bon Bon snorted.

“Was that you two yelling a moment ago?” they heard a voice say. The turned in time to see Blossomforth trot across the grass towards them.

“Hey there, Blossomforth,” Lyra greeted her friend with a wave. “And yes, it was us.” She turned a sly grin at Bon Bon. “Well, one of us anyway.”

Blossomforth looked between them as Lyra kept smiling to Bon Bon’s scathing glare. “Soo… what happened?”

“I—”

“She has a special somepony and she’s not telling me who!” Bon Bon cut Lyra off while pointing an accusatory hoof at her.

Lyra snorted, trying to keep her laughter in when Blossomforth’s jaw almost hit the ground. “Wait, what?” the pegasus managed to stutter.

“Yep.” Lyra’s face was beginning to ache from all the smiles she was having at her friend’s reactions.

“B-B-B-B-But, when did this happen?” Blossomforth slumped to her haunches, her ears pinning back. “How did you get a special somepony before me? This isn’t fair!”

“I just got lucky. That’s all,” Lyra said, running a hoof through her mane.

“Lucky my hoof,” Blossomforth said, she stood and took a seat on the other side of Lyra. “So who’s the lucky stallion? You can tell us.”

Lyra stubbornly shook her head. “Nuh uh, I ain’t telling.”

Blossomforth gave her the cute, watery-eyes routine. “You would keep something like this from your best friends? What sort of friend are you?”

Lyra turned up her nose. “The type of friend who is enjoying this too much to spoil it.”

She slumped a bit as she found herself between two mares that were glaring fiercely at her. “Uh, I promise I’ll tell. Just not yet.”

The two huffed and stood straighter. “Pinkie Promise!” Bon Bon made it sound more like a demand than a question.

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Lyra repeated the saying while doing the motions. The three looked around for a moment, expecting a certain pink pony to appear suddenly, but breathed easily when she didn’t.

“We’ll hold you to that, Lyra,” Bon Bon said as she resettled on the bench. “Once we find out who, the return teasing will be soooo worth it.”

Lyra gulped at the mischievous look Bon Bon gave her. Maybe she did take the teasing a tad too far.

“It totally will,” Blossomforth said before she removed a bag lunch from her saddlebag. She dug out a wrapped sandwich and took a healthy bite.

“Are you on your lunch break?” Lyra asked her.

She nodded and gulped down her food. “Yeah, Rainbow Dash has us on watch patrol for storms out of the Everfree. After the last one, she doesn’t want any more nasty surprises.”

Lyra nodded and rested her head back to enjoy the breeze that blew through, the smell of flowers and grass was so pleasant. She glanced to the side to see a piece of paper sticking out of Blossomforth’s lunch box.

She pointed to the folded piece of paper. “What’s that?”

The pegasus looked at her lunch box and shrugged. “That’s the work schedule. Let’s us know who works when.”

Lyra’s eyes sparkled, though it took effort to keep the smile from her face. “May I see it?”

Blossomforth raised an eyebrow at her. “What for?”

“Uh, well…” She rubbed at the back of her head, a faint blush creeping on her face. “So I can know when you work, yeah. That way I can plan something for us all to do together when you’re off of work.”

Blossomforth’s suspicious glare didn’t lessen but finally she shrugged. “All right, go ahead.”

Lyra started to levitate the paper but Blossomforth slapped a hoof over the lid of her box. “If you tell us who he is.”

Lyra’s eyes widened. “That’s not fair, Blossomforth!”

“Neither is not telling us who your special somepony is!” Blossomforth pointed a hoof her way. “Tell us who, and I’ll let you see it.”

Lyra stubbornly shook her head. “Uh uh, not doing it.”

The pegasus snorted, turning her nose up. “Fine then, you don’t need to see the schedule.”

Lyra bit at her lip before her eyes suddenly widened, a mischievous smirk crossing her face. “Well, I was going to plan a girl’s day trip to Canterlot, but if you’re not going to let me know when you’re off…”

The other two narrowed their eyes at her before Bon Bon leaned over to look at Blossomforth. “She fights mean.”

“Who knew she had it in her?” Blossomforth said with a sigh.

She looked between them, her gaze lowering to the ground. “I’m not trying to be mean, just…”

The two chuckled warmly at her. “We know, Lyra, we’re just teasing you back,” Bon Bon said.

“Yeah, we know you’ll slip sometime and we’ll find out.” Blossomforth reached into her lunch box and handed the paper over. “You have lunch when we go to Canterlot though.”

Lyra’s smile grew wide despite hearing she would likely be having to pay for an expensive lunch in the city in the near future. “Okay,” she said as she quickly scanned the paper for a certain name.

‘Oh good. He’s off Wednesday next week, we can go to the talent show together,’ she thought as she looked over the list. ‘Maybe then I can let them know.’

A smile played across her face as she levitated the schedule back to Blossomforth. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” she said as she finished her lunch and put the stuff back in her box.

The three sat at the bench and shared gossip for a time. Each one chuckling at some little tidbit that they found humorous, or commenting on any of the latest developments around Equestria they had heard about. It was mid-afternoon when Lyra took notice of the sun’s position as it started to lower.

“I better get going. I need to buy something fresh for dinner tonight,” she said as she hopped off the bench. She suddenly hissed in pain and clutched at her back leg. “Ow, owowowow, leg cramp!” She wiggled her leg, trying to bring life back to the sleeping limb.

Her friends laughed uproariously, tears of mirth forming around their eyes.

“Oh, that is so typically you, Lyra,” Bon Bon said as she wiped at her eyes, still trying to get her giggles under control.

“It’s what she gets for keeping secrets from us,” Blossomforth said, as she finished coughing out a laugh.

Lyra lowered her ears, a flush creeping on her face. “That’s not funny, you two,” she said as she gingerly lowered her leg to the ground.

The two chuckled again and Lyra swished her tail in embarrassment. “I’m leaving,” she said. She hadn’t gone more than a few steps when her thoughts returned to her plans for the evening.

“Lyra!”

She turned back with an annoyed frown. “What?”

“You’re skipping again,” Bon Bon told her with a wide smile.

The flush returned to Lyra’s face in force. “Oh…” She lowered her head and trotted off again.

Her two friends watched her leave. She hadn’t gone far before the unicorn started skipping once more.

“Ohh, she’s got it bad,” Bon Bon said, as she watched the unicorn disappear over the hill.

“Really bad.” Blossomforth nodded before she spoke again. “Any idea on who it could be?”

Bon Bon shook her head. “Not a clue, she was being stubborn about not telling us.”

A wicked grin crossed Blossomforth’s face. “You know what this means?”

Bon Bon’s grin easily matched her’s. “A stakeout?”

“A stakeout.”

Bon Bon frowned suddenly. “I can’t tonight though. I’m doing something with Caramel, so I can’t.”

Blossomforth waved her away. “Don’t worry, I’ll watch her tonight.”

“You’ll tell me if you find out who, right?”

Blossomforth grinned evilly again. “You’ll be the first to know.”

-0-

The sleepy town of Ponyville moved underneath Thunderlane as he glided through the air. Most of the ponies didn’t even register his passing, though the few that did gave him a friendly wave as he flew overhead.

He made sure to keep an easy glide up so not to muss up his mane that was freshly brushed out and still moist from his shower. His coat was brushed and all the usual snags combed out for a change. No point going to a dinner date looking like a slouch, he told himself.

He brought up a hoof and puffed into it, taking a quick sniff. Smiling at the lack of odor, he flapped his wings to pick up his speed a bit. If not looking—or smelling—like a slouch was important, so was arriving on time.

Tonight was their big dinner date, he reminded himself. The night that not only was he going to enjoy a dinner with Lyra and her incredible cooking, but it was going to be the night he asked her to play her lyre for him.

Ever since their first meeting, he had hoped to coax her into playing again. The melodies she played still drifted in the back of his mind, and he was going to take the chance as ask her to play for him. He imagined hearing the music playing again, and her expression as she played, all of it just as amazing as he remembered. Maybe if he got lucky he could earn a ki—

He shook his head to clear the thought. “Let’s see how the night goes first, before we get too hopeful,” he said to himself.

Still, he couldn’t help but smile as his mind played out the rest of that thought.

As her home came within sight, he tilted a bit and turned for the house. He flapped his wings a few times as he eased into a landing. With a quick look towards the sun he saw that he was right on time. With a deep breath, he lifted his hoof to knock on the door.

“Just a minute!” he heard her call, and he felt his smile grow at the excitement of her tone. There came the sound of a thud followed by a quick yelp from behind the door. When the door glowed with Lyra’s aura and opened, he caught the unicorn rubbing at a front knee.

“Are you alright?” he asked with a tilt of his head.

She stretched the leg and gave him a sheepish look. “I… bumped my knee when I ran for the door.”

He choked back a snicker, but smiled anyway. “Want me to look at it?”

Her blush grew even brighter. “I-I’m alright, really I am.”

A chuckle escaped him as he took a better look at her. Her mane was brushed and styled, and her coat almost shined in the evening light. It was her eyes though, that stole his breath. True she put a bit of eyeliner on, but those golden irises seemed to draw him in. He could see the nervousness in them and he swore to ease it as fast as he could.

He shifted a bit as she also stared at him in much the same way. “Well, can I come in?”

Her eyes widened and she quickly stepped out of the way, inviting him in. “Sorry, sorry.”

He stretched his wings a moment before settling them on his side. Her home had been cleaned spotlessly and the smell that waifed from the kitchen sent his stomach to growling.

“That smells fantastic,” he said, wiping at his muzzle to keep the drool from escaping. “What’s for dinner anyway?”

A sly smile crossed her face. “You’ll find out once it’s done. I don’t want to ruin the surprise.”

He gave her a nod as she managed to get past part of her nervousness. “If it’s anything like the first time I ate here, I bet it’ll be good. I’ll stuff myself again.”

An eager gleam glinted in her eyes. “You’ll love it.” She looked towards the kitchen. “Go take a seat in the living room. I’ll join you after I turn the hay strips.”

He looked at her with a sly grin. “What about ruining the surprise?”

Her eyes widened and she slapped a hoof to her forehead. “Ohh…”

A warm laughed escaped him. “Don’t worry.”

She muttered something and ran for the kitchen. He shook his head at her; that innocence of hers was one of the things he enjoyed. It was cute in its own way, he thought.

He took a seat on the couch in the living room, and looked at the hanging pictures on the walls. Most of them were of Lyra or Bon Bon, though he saw a few with Blossomforth as well. He saw a family photo and got up to look it over. He saw a young Lyra sitting in front of her parents, all three of them smiling wide for the photo.

“Do your parents live here in Ponyville too?” he asked as she joined him in the living room.

She looked at the photo he was holding and a faint smile crossed her face. “They live in Canterlot. Dad owns a store there that Mom helps him run. They do pretty well for themselves, even without me.”

He nodded and didn’t ask further. He sat on the couch and soon found himself joined by her. She looked at him for a moment before speaking. “Are you working next Wednesday?”

He frowned faintly, trying to remember his schedule. “No, I think I am off.” He looked at her. “Why? Do you have something in mind?”

She nodded. “I was… going to go watch the talent show, and I wanted to ask you if you’d go with me?”

A smile spread across his face. “I’d love to go. I didn’t have anything planned, but an evening with you sounds like a much better idea than sitting at home.”

The way she blushed, he knew he did right. “Great!” she clopped her hooves together. “I’ll introduce you to my friends. They are dying to meet you.”

The both stopped to sniff the air. “Hmm? What is that?”

Lyra’s eyes widened and she gave a high pitched ‘eek’ of surprise and dashed back into the kitchen. He followed her out of curiosity and found her desperately batting at a pan that had a small flame going. When she got the flame out she checked the food over and sighed in relief.

“Saved it.”

He chuckled from the doorway. “I didn’t know you could cook fancy? I’ve never had flambé before.”

Her face took on a bright, cherry-red hue as she averted her eyes. “It wasn’t supposed to do that…”

His laughter grew louder. “I was just joking. It’ll taste good even if it’s a little fried.” When she didn’t look back at him, he rubbed at the back of his head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh.”

Her mane swished as she shook her head. “No, it’s not you. Just…” She stood straighter, a firm look on her face. “Out. So I can finish cooking.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

Again she shook her head. “No, this is the dinner I was going to make for us. You just get to enjoy it when it’s done. Now out.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said as he turned away for the living room.

As he rested on the couch again, he could hear her bustling in the kitchen. Metal clanked and food hissed as it was cooked; the longer it went on, the more his stomach growled. The waiting was just torture on his empty gut. He looked around for something to take his mind off his hunger pangs.

His eyes settled on a novel that was face down on a table and he reached over to pick it up. He scanned the cover.

‘Hinney of the Hills?’ he thought as he flipped to the front page. After reading a bit, he skipped ahead to another part and scrunched up his face. ‘Boy, this is awful sappy. Does she actually like reading things like this?’

“Okay, it’s ready!”

He was quickly on his hooves at her call, the sappy book dropped to the floor completely forgotten.

When he walked into the kitchen, he took one look at the table and his jaw dropped, a line of drool escaped through the corner of his mouth.

“I hope you’re hungry,” she said as she levitated a pair of forks from a drawer. “I made us grilled hay strips, fried cattail tubers, and a chopped cattail leaf and dandelion salad.” Her smile took on a nervous turn. “I hope it is all right with you.”

Finally realizing that he was drooling, he wiped at the corner of his mouth. “It. Looks. Delicious!” His smile turned wide and eager. “When can we eat?”

She sat down at her chair and giggled a bit at his foal-like tone. “As soon as you sit.”

Not having to be told twice, he eagerly dove into his meal.

-0-

Thunderlane never felt so contently full in his life. He probably ate far more than he should have, and his once grumbling gut was now telling him pointedly that he had overdone it, but the food was so darn good, he couldn’t help himself. He leaned against the back of the couch to give his belly a bit more breathing space.

A content sigh escaped him as Lyra joined him on the couch. “Ahh, I don’t think I’ve eaten that much in a long time.”

She giggled and sat against couch herself, her own belly bulging from the recent meal. “I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I put a lot of eff—” a small belch escaped her. Her face turned red again and she lowered her eyes. “Excuse me.”

A warm chuckle escaped him—even her burps were cute. “When it’s good, it’s good. And it was good.”

Her smile spread across her face and her blush faded. “Thank you.” She shifted on the couch, unintentionally getting closer to him. “So what have you done lately, Thunderlane?”

The two spent the next few hours chatting about their week and about random other topics of conversation. Through their talking, they would chuckle or outright laugh at certain parts of their telling. For Thunderlane, he didn’t even register the passing of time. Sitting and talking with Lyra just felt right, and he found himself scooting closer to her as they talked. He saw that Lyra didn’t mind in the slightest as he got closer, and she herself seemed to draw nearer to him when he wasn’t looking.

Finally, as night had settled outside, he felt it was time to take a risk. “Lyra?”

She turned a curious gaze to him. “Hmm?”

“Can… I ask you something?”

The shaking he felt, he wasn’t sure if it was him doing it, or her as she seemed to stiffen up. “Y-Yes?”

He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I wanted to ask you this for a while but…”

She leaned forward, her irises shrinking a bit in anticipation. “Yes?”

“Can you…” He paused to look at her fully in the eye. “Play your lyre for me?”

Her head snapped back in surprise, her eyes blinking a few times. “What?”

His own blush crept across his face. “I was asking if you’d play your lyre for me. I… really liked hearing you play long ago, and I’d love to hear you again.”

She stared at him for a moment before she lowered her eyes and looked to the side. “I… don’t really play for other ponies to hear. It’s… a personal thing.”

He tilted his head at her. “Why though? Your playing is the best I’ve ever heard. Somepony that good shouldn’t hide their talents from others. I can’t even begin to imagine being able to play as good as you.”

Again, her blush shown through her mint coat. “I just… don’t like playing in front of other ponies.”

His head tilted in an understanding nod. “Stage fright, huh?”

She nodded quietly, still not looking at him.

“Hey,” he said softly, trying to cheer her up. “You don’t have anything to worry about. I know for a fact your music is the best I’ve heard. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Her gaze sheepishly rose to meet his. “You wouldn’t?”

He gave an affirmative nod. “I won’t lie to you, ever. I promise.”

She lowered her gaze again and spoke quietly. “You promise you won’t laugh at me?”

“I Pinkie Promise, I won’t.” He leaned forward a bit after making the binding motions of the promise. “Will you play a song for me?”

After a silent moment, she lifted her head. “I… Yes, I will.”

A smile erupted across his face. “Sweet! You’re the best, Lyra.”

A soft smile crossed her face as she stood up from the couch. “Wait here,” she said as she walked for her bedroom.

He listened as he heard a few things move around in her room, followed by hesitant steps. Finally she emerged, carrying the case in her magic beside her. He shifted to a more comfortable position on the couch and watched as she undid the latches on her case.

She looked over at him for a moment. “Remember your promise.”

“I promise I won’t laugh,” he repeated with a firm nod.

Taking in a breath, she levitated her golden lyre from its case. Walking towards a chair, she sat down to tune the instrument. She plucked the strings carefully until they made just the sound she wanted.

“I’m surprised you don’t play using your magic,” he said. “Don’t most unicorn musicians play using their magic?

“They do,” she said, tuning the last string. “But there is something about playing with my hooves that… I can’t describe. It just feels… right.”

He nodded quickly and settled back onto the couch, an eager smile playing across his face.

She plucked the strings a few times more before one made a weird noise and broke from the lyre. An embarrassed blush came over her face as she looked at him quickly. “Sorry…”

Resisting the urge to chuckle took more effort than he expected. “It’s all right. Happens to everypony at one point, right?”

She chuckled a bit and nodded. “Yeah.” A replacement string levitated from the case and she quickly replaced the broken string. Finding the tuning to her liking, she took in a breath and gave them a strum. She quickly looked at him for a reaction, but he kept still—waiting patiently for her to play.

Realizing that he wasn’t judging her, she began to play the song he had first heard her play that night he found her at the watering hole. He sat watching her play, her eyes half lidded as she allowed the music to flow out of her through her instrument. The lyre acting as a conduit to the emotion of the song she played. As he sat there, his eyes were drawn to her face. The soft smile, the distant eyes, all combined with the haunting music she played let his heart soar. He felt happy, relieved, free and so many other emotions that he couldn’t put words to as the song tugged at his heartstrings.

As the song came to a conclusion, he had to wipe the tears that had formed away. He might have been a stallion, and not ashamed to cry, but not while on a date with a lovely mare like her. He clapped his hooves together. “That was… fantastic, Lyra.”

An embarrassed, but warm, smile played across her face as she lowered her eyes. “I… wasn’t that good.”

He shook his head. “Lyra, you’ve got to stop putting yourself down. You are amazing!”

She looked up slowly at him. “You mean it?”

“I told you, I don’t lie. When I say something I really mean it. If I say you’re amazing, you really are.” He scooted on the couch to sit closer to her. “You have an amazing gift, why do you hide it? You would be better than all of the musicians in Canterlot, I bet.”

She shook her head, her ears laying back. “Now I know you’re lying to me. I’m not that good. I just play for fun.”

He pointed a hoof at her. “That’s why you’re so good. You do it for fun, not money. That’s what separates you from them.”

“You… really think so?”

“I know so,” he said with a firm nod. “I’d be willing to bet if you entered the talent show, you’d win hooves down!”

He didn’t think it possible for a pony to shake their head so fast, but she definitely proved him wrong. “No! Oh no no no! I couldn’t! They would all laugh at me. I couldn’t show my face in town ever again.” Her eyes were wide in panic, and he was for sure he was going to have to grab her to keep her from running.

“Whoa! Whoa! Lyra, calm down. Nopony would laugh at you.” He held his hooves up, trying to calm her down.

“I would be so embarrassed, I couldn’t play in front of a crowd! I just couldn’t!”

As her breathing became more rapid, he did the first thing that came to mind. He rested both forelegs on her shoulders and held her firmly. “Lyra.”

She looked up into his eyes, and he could see the panic still there.

“You will be fine,” he said calmly.

“But I—”

“Lyra—” he leaned in closer. “You. Will. Be. Fine.”

She struggled a bit more before he pulled her into an embrace. He felt her stiffened up a bit, but then sag into him. She shivered a bit as he held her tightly. “You would be fine. I know you would.”

She pushed him away gently and looked up to him. “You… really mean it?”

He saw the hope in her expression and he gave her a warm, confident smile. “I mean it. I’d be willing to bet money that everypony would love you. You’re just that good.” He tilted his head a bit. “I know I do.”

Her eyes widened a bit. “You mean that?”

“I mean every word.” He nodded once. “If you enter the talent show, Lyra, I promise that it will work out better than you can hope.”

She lowered her head, staring at her hooves. He let her think it out for a time, but when she didn’t respond he tried to say something before she cut him off.

“Would-Would you be there… To watch me?” She lifted her eyes back to him, carrying a silent plea with them.

“I would be there front, line and center. Cheering you on.”

She lowered her gaze again before speaking softly.

His ears flickered, and he furrowed his brow. “What’d you say?”

“I’ll… do it,” she said louder, looking back at him. “If you’re there to watch me.”

His wide smile would have rivaled one of Pinkie’s. “I swear by Celestia and Luna that I will be there for you, Lyra. You have my promise.”

She smiled and pulled him back into a tight hug. “Thank you…”

He turned his nose to nuzzle her mane. “You’re welcome… I know you can do it, Lyra.”

They both turned their heads as a clock nearby started to ding the time. It gave twelve quick chimes before going quiet again.

“Midnight already?” he said, unable to keep the disappointment from his tone. He sighed in defeat. “I need to be heading home. I have to work early in the morning.”

She nodded as she stepped away from him. “I wish… you didn’t have to go.”

“So do I. I really do.” He sighed again. “But Rainbow Dash would kick my flank to next week if I show up late for work again.”

A quick giggle escaped her, and she covered her face to stop it. “I’m sorry. I just imagined that and I couldn’t keep from laughing.”

He shrugged grandly. “She would too. I have the marks to prove it,” he said with aplomb.

Her eyes widened. “Does she really hit you?”

“Only when I deserve it…” he muttered.

The two walked for the door and he turned the knob. When the door opened he was greeted with the cool night air, and he felt his fur stand on end suddenly. He turned back to the mare. “Lyra, I had a great time. The food was good, the music better and the company… the best.”

She smiled warmly, not yet moving from her door frame. “I had a great time too, Thunderlane. It was… a great night.”

He thought to turn away, but something kept him from leaving. Something didn’t feel right, something… left undone.

“Lyra…”

She turned back to face him. “Hmm?”

That was all she managed before he pressed his lips against hers. She stiffened as still as stone, her eyes wide for a second before she melted into that kiss. When she pressed back, he tentatively prodded her lips with his tongue, quietly asking for permission. She hesitantly complied and he wasted no time in darting his tongue into her mouth. Her own tongue soon exploring his mouth as well. The two shared the passionate kiss for a time before the necessity of air broke them apart.

The two stood there for a breathless moment, before he stood straighter and gave her a warm smile. “I’ll see you again soon?”

Unable to answer, she instead bobbed her head quickly, the warmth still apparent on her cheeks.

He chuckled a bit and flared his wings. “Goodnight, Lyra.”

“Goodnight… Thunderlane,” she said quietly.

As he took to the sky and back towards his home. He suddenly burst into flips and loops in the air, cheering in victory. Now the night had ended on a perfect note.

-0-

As Lyra watched him fly away, her hoof drifted towards her muzzle. She stared at the sky for a long moment before stepping inside her home and closing the door. The moment it was closed, she leaned against the door and sagged to the floor.

“My first kiss…” She touched her lips again, and shivered in delight. It had been everything she ever dreamed of and more. This warm feeling it gave her, she felt like she could stand up to the world. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t do.

Even enter a talent show.

She didn’t let that reminder take away from the moment. Instead, she collect her lyre and soon put out all the lights to her home. She crawled into bed and snuggled under her blankets. She nuzzled her pillow and gave a content sigh.

“Thunderlane…” she uttered softly before sleep took her.

-0-

Unbeknownst to the two, a set of eyes had been watching them from the shadows of a tree. Those eyes now were filled with sadness, tears flowing freely from them. Blossomforth’s face dripped tears down through the branches as she sat, staring at Lyra’s front door. She kept whispering denials under her breath, trying to deny what she had just seen.

Her friend, her best friend, was dating the pony she had been working so hard to attract for so long. Now, after watching that kiss, she knew he was beyond her reach. There wasn’t anything that was going to change that kind of affection. She saw his expression, it was hopeless.

What had she done wrong? Why did he not notice her after all these months? The quiet flirting, the inviting him to lunches and things, all the little questions. Were they not good enough? Why did he ignore her and, and how had he wound up in the forelegs of Lyra? How did this happen? Why did it happen?

As the lights went out in Lyra’s home, those eyes of sadness turned to spite. A sneering scowl snaked it’s way across her face, as she glared at the bedroom of the home.

“You… how could you? How could you do this to me, Lyra? You were my friend… Why?”

With a badly contained sob that shared both loss and anger, the pegasus leapt from the tree and flew with all speed for her home. Her crying hadn’t stopped by the time the sun rose the next morning. Only now, the tears carried with them the bitterness of anger—and the seed of jealousy.

Chapter Four

View Online

Her head hung low as she trudged along the street to visit with her friend, Bon Bon. A dark cloud seemed to follow Blossomforth around, seeping out of her from every pore. Ponies nervously avoided her as she made her way through the early morning. Blossomforth needed to talk to somepony who was not Lyra or Thunderlane. The thought of those two sent another wave of grief, followed quickly by a rush of anger, coursing through her mind. She growled softly, grinding her teeth, before forcing the memories from last night from her mind. She was not about to let herself break down, not again.

She caught sight of her friend’s candy store and a weak, relieved smile crossed her face. ‘Maybe a good talk, a cup of tea, and some sweets might help,’ she thought to herself.

The entry bell chimed as she pushed the door open, and Blossomforth caught sight of her friend as she looked up from a book she was reading.

Bon Bon’s eyes lit up. “Blossomforth! I didn’t know you had the day off.” The earth pony set her book on the countertop of her store. “What’s the occasion…” She trailed off as she got a better look at Blossomforth’s face. “Whoa, you look awful. What happened?”

‘She doesn’t pull punches,’ she thought, wincing, before shaking it off and replying. “I’ve… just had a rough night. I didn’t sleep a wink.”

“You poor thing. Get over here and take a seat.” Bon Bon tilted her head. “Don’t you have work today? I thought you said you had cloud duty.”

Blossomforth settled her forelegs on the counter, resting her head on them. “I did, but I asked Rainbow for a personal day. She was nice enough to let me have it.”

Bon Bon’s mane swished as she nodded. “Good! That means you have all the time in the world to sit down and tell me all about it.” She stepped away from the counter and brought a stool around for Blossomforth to sit on. “Would you like some tea?”

Blossomforth felt a warm smile starting to sprout on her face. “That would be nice, please.”

“You just sit and relax while I get it.” Bon Bon gave her a pointed glare. “Don’t move an inch until I get back.”

She lifted a hoof at her in a weak wave. “I won’t. I’m not like… Lyra, I won’t run off.”

Bon Bon chuckled and shook her head, walking into the kitchen to make the tea.

She didn’t see the scowl that spread across Blossomforth’s face. Just mentioning her friend sent a wave of bile coursing through her. She saw again the imagine of Lyra and Thunderlane sharing that passionate kiss. The kiss that should have been hers!

She stared down at the countertop, her gaze going distant. The questions and frustrations came again to her mind, and she didn’t have any more answers for them now than she did earlier. She closed her eyes, trying to keep them from tearing up. Of all the stallions in Ponyville, why Thunderlane?

The clatter of plates and cups broke her from her thoughts and she looked up to find Bon Bon sliding a small platter on the counter. The smell of warm herbal tea caused Blossomforth to shudder in delight.

Bon Bon pushed a small plate of celery sticks to go with the tea and sat down on her chair again. “All right, Blossomforth. What happened? What upset you?” She scowled. “Was it the stallion you’re trying to hook up with? Give me his name, and I’ll set him straight.”

‘It’s not him...’ she thought to herself. She took in a breath and took a sip of the warm tea. How could she explain what her problem was? That she had missed out on the stallion of her dreams to their clumsy friend Lyra of all ponies? Admit that she didn’t have what it took to catch his eye and that she was hopeless?

Bon Bon studied her friends face as she sat quietly with her thoughts. “Wait…”

Blossomforth looked up from her musing.

“Did you go spying on Lyra?” The earth pony leaned forward, an eager gleam in her eyes. “Did you see who she’s dating? Tell me who.”

‘Thunderlane. The stallion she stole from me!’ She wanted to shout the thought out, but hesitance kept her from speaking. “I didn’t see who, but I know she saw him last night.”

Bon Bon leaned forward even more, the counter groaning as she put her weight on it. “Come on, Blossomforth! Who is it? I have to know!”

She looked up to her friends frantic stare and opened her mouth to speak. “It’s—”

“Bon Bon!”

They both turned as the door to the shop burst open and in ran a widely smiling Lyra. “Bon Bon! Where are you?” The unicorn’s eyes fell on the two at the counter and her smile grew even more. “There you are!”

‘You...’ It took all of Blossomforth’s effort to keep the anger from her face at the sight of the unicorn. First she steals her stallion, now she barges in when she’s trying to have a private talk with a friend?

Bon Bon settled back on her chair. “Hello, Lyra. We were just talking about you.”

The unicorn tilted her head curiously as she trotted up. “Me? What for? What did I do this time?”

‘You know exactly what you did!’ “We were discussing who your special somepony is.” Blossomforth said aloud and took a sip of her tea to hide the frown that was growing.

Bon Bon looked at her with a furrowed brow. “Didn’t you say you—”

Blossomforth’s eyes widened and she slapped a hoof over Bon Bon’s muzzle. “—had no idea who it was. That’s all.”

Lyra looked at her strangely for a second before she shrugged; her smile returning to her face. “Well, I wanted to let you both know that you won’t have to wait for much longer.”

Bon Bon leaned forward again, the counter once again groaning in protest. “Who? Who is it!”

‘Thunderlane…’

Lyra gave her a playful wink. “You’ll find out this Wednesday at the talent show. He’s going to be there and I’ll introduce you.” She shook with excitement. “Ooh, I can’t wait.”

“Can’t wait? How do you think we feel?” Bon Bon glared at the unicorn. “We’ve been waiting all this time to know and you still won’t tell us?” She leveled her gaze, but a sly smirk crossed her face. “You’re having way too much fun with this, aren’t you, Lyra?”

“Yep,” she chirped, but she then lowered her voice. “But that’s, not all I’m—” the smile faltered for just a second. “—going to compete in the talent show.”

Where Bon Bon grew a happy smile at the news, Blossomforth could only blink. When did Lyra ever have the confidence to speak to a stallion, let alone perform on stage? It was like she was meeting a whole new Lyra Heartstrings.

“Lyra, are you really going to compete?” Bon Bon asked. “When did you decide this?”

“Last night,” she said, levitating another stool for her to sit on. “My coltfriend convinced me that I have nothing to worry about.”

‘Coltfriend?’

Lyra rubbed at the back of her head. “Though… I am a bit nervous.”

“What are you going to do at the talent show?” Blossomforth asked. “I didn’t even knew you had a talent for stage.”

The two looked at her in some surprise. “Didn’t I tell you?” Lyra asked.

Blossomforth looked between them. “No.”

“Lyra’s really good at her lyre,” Bon Bon said after taking a bite of a celery stick. “She played for me once, and she’s really good.” She gulped her food down and shot a glare at her. “I tried telling her she should play for others, but apparently it had to come from a hot stallion to sink into her thick head.”

“That’s not true! I—” She trailed off at Bon Bon’s smug expression. She shook her head and looked at Blossomforth. “I know I told you before, Blossomforth. Don’t you remember?”

The pegasus shook her head. “No.”

“Huh…” Lyra looked to the countertop for a moment, frowning with a vapid expression in her eyes. “I was almost certain I did.”

‘No you didn’t! What other things have you not told me? I thought you were my friend, Lyra!’

Blossomforth took another sip of her tea, trying, but failing, to hold back a sniffle.

Bon Bon looked over at her curiously. “Are you alright, Blossomforth?”

She nodded quickly and set her tea down, standing up. “Just the air.” She stretched her wings as she stood. “I’m… going to go for a walk. I’ll see you girls later?”

Bon Bon stared at her for a moment before nodding. “Later it is.”

“Will I see you at the talent show?” Lyra asked her as she headed for the door.

“I wouldn’t miss it,” she said through false teeth.

Lyra’s happy smile spread quickly. “I can’t wait for you to meet my coltfriend. I know you’ll like him.”

“I know I will.” She stepped out of the candy store before a nasty retort could escape her. ‘I can’t wait for the talent show either, Lyra. I can’t wait...’

A slow, cruel grin slowly crossed her muzzle as a thought occurred to her. “Yes. I can’t wait.”

-0-

Lyra paced anxiously, biting her lower lip as she frequently scanned the crowd for a certain pegasus. The talent show wasn’t supposed to start for a while yet, but she was already feeling that knot of dread in her gut. Between the nervousness she felt about introducing Thunderlane to her friends, and the thought of going up on stage… in front of a crowd… all of those eyes on her… caused her to shudder violently. She wanted nothing more than to run home where no one could stare at her, but she promised she would do this. Thunderlane had promised he would be there to support her, and that nopony would laugh at her.

“So where is he?” she said aloud, scanning the crowd for the uptenth time. “Did he get cold hooves? Maybe I should—”

She felt a tapping on her back.

With a high pitched scream, she leapt into the air, her legs scrambling. She crashed to the ground with an undignified grunt and looked up to see an amused Thunderlane looking down at her.

“Kinda jumpy, ain’t we?”

She flailed around in her frustration. “Why do you guys keep doing that to me?!”

“We don’t do it on purpose.” he smirked playfully at her. “Though it is kinda funny.”

She snorted at him and dusted herself off. “It’s not funny!”

His face scrunched up, trying to keep from outright laughing at her. “Anyone ever tell you how cute you are when you’re frustrated?”

She blushed furiously. “Oh, stop it.”

He chuckled warmly and nuzzled at her, taking in a discrete sniff. “You smell nice.”

Her blush rivaled that of Big Mac’s fur in its redness. “T-Thank you.” She looked him over a moment, and saw that he had cleaned himself up nicely. This brought a smile to her face, knowing that he took great strides to look presentable for her friends and see her perform caused a wave of warmth to rise up from her body.

“I’m glad you came,” she finally said.

He ran a hoof through his mohawk before smirking at her. “Told you I wouldn’t miss it, and I keep my promises.” He looked around for a moment before he gulped nervously. “So… where’re your friends?”

Her smile turned from one of warmth to one of barely contained excitement. “They’re already here, and they’re dying to meet you. I haven’t even told them who you are yet.”

He tilted his head at her. “Why not? You’re not embarrassed, are you?”

The color drained from her face, and she shook her head quickly. “N-No, I just… I—” She took in a calming breath. “I’m not embarrassed, it’s just that…” She trailed off and looked away for a moment, chewing her bottom lip.

“Buuuut…” He prompted her with a wave of his hoof.

She took a moment to collect her thoughts. “It’s just that Bon Bon and Blossomforth have always talked about any coltfriends they’ve had when I didn’t have one—”

“Can’t see why not,” he gave her a mischievous smile.

Her face turned red again. “Stop it.” She huffed before continuing. “They’ve always talked about having coltfriends, but I’ve never had the chance. But now that I do, I wanted to get back at them for all the teasing they’ve done.” She grinned, a bit more maliciously than she intended. “Teasing them by keeping your name a secret has been too much fun to pass up.”

He laughed and she quickly joined in. “Remind me not to get on your bad side,” he said as he brushed away a tear of mirth.

She pulled on his foreleg. “Come on. I want you to meet them.”

He put up a faint resistance, but allowed her to drag him through the crowded park. She looked around as many ponies were talking excitedly with each other, and a few of them held musical instruments or wore costumes. These ponies must have been her competition for the night, she reasoned. The thought of going up on stage caused the knot in her stomach to clench again. She looked at Thunderlane for support but frowned as she noticed a faint frown on his face.

“What’s wrong, Thunderlane? Why are you frowning?”

He looked at her quickly. “I was just thinking, what if your friends don’t like me?”

She blinked in confusion before she gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, they’ll love you. Bon Bon will likely swarm you with questions… embarrassing questions,” she muttered, her ears pinning back before standing straight again. “And you already know Blossomforth, right? So there’s nothing to worry about.”

A faint smile played on his face. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He scanned the crowd, hoping to find a familiar face. “So where are they?”

She looked around as well. “I don’t know they said they would—”

“Lyra!”

The sudden shout caused her to jump again, but instead of another undignified fall to the ground, Thunderlane reacted and caught her.

Her cheeks turned a bright scarlet hue from the stares as he cradled her in his forelegs. “Uhmm, t-thank you.”

His smirk was tinted with a blush of his own. “Anytime.”

Bon Bon whistled as she and Caramel approached. “Wow, Lyra, you have to teach me that?”

She look at her friend curiously. “Teach you what?”

“How to get your colt friend tied around your hoof so easily. Caramel never carries me around.”

The stallion in question rubbed at the back of his head. “Well, you never asked.”

Bon Bon was about to say something when her eyes widened and a snicker escaped her. “I’ll give you that.”

Lyra turned her gaze to Thunderlane. “You can put me down now.”

He blinked before he set her down. She did give him a quick peck on the cheek as he did. “Thanks,” she whispered.

He gave her a wink before he looked at Bon Bon. “So you’re… Bon Bon? I’m Thunderlane, it’s nice to meet you. Lyra’s told me about you.”

The mare snorted. “Well, at least she’s something about me, but she hasn’t said a thing about you.” Lyra felt the glare figuratively burn her away. “She thought it was funny not to share anything about who you were or what you looked like with her friends.”

He stiffened up as the mare walked around him, scrutinizing him like he was merchandise on display. “Though, I can’t for the life of me think why she wouldn’t want to share you.”

Lyra once again felt the heat rising to her face. “BON BON!”

Her friend gave her a sly smile. “What? I was talking about who he was and what he looked like.” She raised an eyebrow at the sputtering unicorn. “Just what were you thinking about, Lyra?”

It wasn’t that much of an exaggeration to say that Lyra’s bright blush dimmed the lights of the surrounding street lamps.

Thunderlane, for his own part, stared down at the earth mare with a mix of fear and embarrassment.

He glanced at Caramel who stood by, watching it all with an amused grin. “Is she always like this?”

Caramel’s grin grew a bit more. “Always. It’s one of the things I love about her.”

Bon Bon wrapped Caramel in a tight hug. “You always say the sweetest things!”

“Can’t believe that line worked…” Thunderlane muttered as Lyra finally came out from hiding behind her hooves. “You alright?” he asked.

Lyra huffed, glaring daggers at her friend’s back. “I knew she was going to do something like that and I still fell for it.”

She couldn’t help but smile as he chuckled.

The sound of a few instruments being tuned caused her ears to flicker, some of them sounding like they really needed it. “So where is Blossomforth, Bon Bon?” she asked as she turned back to her friends, “She said she was going to be here.”

Bon Bon looked around with a faint frown. “I don’t know. Last I talked with her, she said she was going to meet us.” She shrugged faintly. “Maybe she’s trying to find her own date to bring.”

Thunderlane tilted his head curiously. “I didn’t know Blossomforth was single. I thought for sure she’d have a coltfriend somewhere.”

Bon Bon shrugged. “She said she’s had eyes on a stallion for a while, just hadn’t worked up the nerve to ask him out.” She gave Lyra a sly smile. “Now that she’s the only single one of the three of us, maybe she’s finally going to ask.”

Lyra grinned as well. “I hope so, I’d still like to meet who ever she’s been trying to date.”

Before any of them could continue, Bon Bon held up a hoof firmly. “Alright, that’s enough chit chat. Come on! We should get something to eat before the show starts. I don’t want to get up to get something to eat while a certain someone is performing.”

Lyra looked down at her hooves again as Bon Bon brought her out of the bliss of just being there with her friends and coltfriend, and back into reality. A reality that included a stage performance.

She shivered before she felt a hoof placed on her shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry,” Thunderlane said. “I told you they’ll love you, and I’ll be front and center to cheer you on.”

A soft sigh escaped through her nose, “I-I’m just so nervous. I’ve never played for an audience before.” She looked at him, a pleading look in her eyes. “What if they laugh at me?” She looked down, shame brimming in her eyes. “They’ve always laughed at me.”

He shook his head decisively, pulling her chin up with his hoof. “They won’t. I promise.”

Bon Bon nodded firmly. “And I’ll sock the first one that does.”

Lyra sputtered again, pulling away from her coltfriend. “Bon Bon, you wouldn’t do that!”

“Actually I might hold them for her,” Thunderlane said with a grin.

She looked at him with shocked eyes. “Y-You would?”

He grinned confidently at her. “But it won’t come to that, because I know you’ll do great. Pretend you’re sitting at your favorite spot again, and just play. Trust me.”

She lowered her gaze to her hooves again. Is it really that simple? Just pretend she was by her watering hole, ignoring all the thousands of eyes watching her, judging her? Could she do it?

She felt herself pulled closer to him. “Just trust me, you will be fine.”

The warmth of his hug and the softness of his fur seemed to wash away all of her fears. She looked up to him with a warm, grateful smile. “Thank you, Thunderlane.”

He gave her a playful wink. “Anytime.”

Bon Bon started pushing Lyra towards the concession stand, nearly bowling over anyone else who was in their way. “Come on now, we’ve got to get something to eat before the show starts. Except for you, Lyra, you shouldn’t have anything in your stomach before you get on stage.”

“Bon Bon! Quit pushing me! I can walk on my own! Hey!”

Thunderlane watched them go with an amused smirk. He looked to the side as Caramel stood beside him.

“Teach me how you did that?” the earth pony stallion asked.

Thunderlane looked at him curiously. “To do what?”

“To get a mare to eat our of your hoof like that. What’s the secret?”

Thunderlane laughed, already liking how the evening was going.

-0-

It really wasn’t possible for Lyra to more freaked out than she was now. She bit at her lower lip, drawing blood, and her front hoof would not stop tapping—the repeated thumps on the wood had earned her a shush from the stage manager, but she just couldn’t help it. As her slot approached, her panic was spiralling out of control. The usually comforting presence of her lyre floated by her in her aura, but even it appeared shaky.

‘Ooohh, how could I have ever agreed to do this? This is going to end badly, I just know it…’ she thought to herself. She grabbed at her mane nervously, and dared a peek past the curtains. She watched as Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, put on a staged magic show. While it was cute that they were trying slight of hoof tricks, Lyra giggled when a whole deck of cards showered over the audience. Giggling even harder as she saw one card stick to Thunderlane’s nose. He had tried shaking it free, but it has stubbornly clung until a sheepish Sweetie Belle removed it.

Even with her giggle, her worry came back as soon as she let the curtain drop. “Ooh, what am I going to do? I can’t do this. I can’t do this.”

“Lyra?” she heard a voice call out to her.

She turned curiously until she saw Blossomforth make her way back stage, the pegasus looking around. “Blossomforth! You made it.”

She received a harsh shush from the stage manager and Lyra lowered her head sheepishly. “Sorry,” she whispered and dashed over to her friend, giving her a warm hug. “I didn’t think you’d make it.”

Blossomforth gave her a warm, yet restrained smile. “You know I wouldn’t miss you getting on stage.” She pushed her friend from the hug. “Is your… coltfriend here?”

Lyra bobbed her head quickly. “He is, he’s out in the crowd watching.” She tilted her head curiously at the pegasus. “You already know Thunderlane, don’t you?”

Blossomforth nodded after a moment. “Yeah, I know him. We work together.”

Lyra’s smile spread across her face. “Oh, good. I won’t have to introduce you then.”

“Yeah… you won’t.”

Lyra looked past her friend curiously. “Didn’t you bring a date with you?” She looked back at her friend. “What about that stallion you were trying to date, did you ask him to come with you?”

“He’s… here, Lyra,” Blossomforth said, with only the faintest of downward turns at her mouth.

Lyra grinned broadly, oblivious to her friend’s expression. “Oh, thank Celestia. You have to introduce me to him after I’m done. I want to see who you’ve had your eyes on this whole time.”

Blossomforth smiled just faintly. “You will, trust me.”

They both turned at the sounds of applause and laughter and saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders make their way back stage—somehow covered in tree sap.

“How—” Lyra began.

“You’re up next, Miss Heartstrings. After the stage has been cleared,” the stage manager said as she directed a janitor towards the stage.

Her mouth dried, and she felt herself beginning to shake. She was next! She was about to get on stage and perform… in front of all those ponies. The thought of all those eyes staring at her, caused her to shake, small whimpers escaping her.

She started as she felt a hoof rest on her shoulder, she turned to find Blossomforth staring at her intently. “Lyra, calm down.”

“B-B-B-ut—”

An annoyed sigh escaped through the pegasus’s nose. “Just stay calm, do as you always do, and you’ll be fine.”

Lyra lowered her gaze. “I’m not sure if I can do it, Blossomforth. I’m so scared.”

“Which is why you need to do it. Don’t you see? If you go out there and show everypony just what you can do, you won’t have to be afraid anymore.” She gave her an encouraging smile. “We all know you can do it. Don’t forget… Thunderlane is watching.”

The thought of Thunderlane being right there for her, and knowing she had his and her friends support, caused her shivers to lessen. Her friends would be there, cheering her on. Thunderlane was there, just like he promised.

“Y-Yeah… I can do this. I can do this.” She took in a few calming breaths before she gave her friend a smile. “Thanks, Blossomforth.”

The pegasus gave her a nod. “Now get out there and show everypony just what you can do. We’re counting on you.”

Lyra puffed out her chest and her lyre floated up next to her. “I can do this.”

She waiting only a moment more before the janitor returned and the stage manager pulled the curtain for her.

“Wish me luck,” she said quickly to her friend, and stepped past the curtain.

She didn’t hear the pegasus mumble darkly to herself. “Yes, get out there and do what you always do, Lyra. I’m counting on it.”

-0-

All that confidence she felt, that swelling of pride she worked up, deflated faster than one of Pinkie Pie’s balloons as the spotlights settled on her. Her eyes shrunk to prin picks and her legs suddenly felt as heavy as lead. All those stares that bore into her, she wanted nothing more than to run away screaming, but her legs refused to move.

From the front and center of the crowd a round of applause started. Thunderlane started stamping his hooves to the ground, cheering her on. It was quickly joined in by Bon Bon and Caramel, and soon proved to be infectious as other ponies started applauding her.

A flush crept up on her face and she hesitantly stepped towards the stool that was waiting for her. She stood before the stool and dipped a somewhat less than graceful bow to the crowd.

“G-Good evening, everypony. I’m Lyra Heartstrings, and I’ll be… playing my lyre for everypony.”

A small cheer went up from the center of the crowd. She saw Thunderlane give the cheer despite the odd looks he got. His warm, eager smile sent a warmth through her body.

“Thank you.” She took a seat on the provided stool and looked to the crowd again. “This is a song I call, ‘On Wings of a Sparrow.’”

She settled comfortably, and gave a testing tune of her lyre. The small note seeming to sound louder in her ears than she had ever heard before. A rosy blush crept on her face and she set her hoof against the higher string. Her eyes fell over the crowd, feeling once again the weight of all those stares as they looked to her with anticipation. The panic reared up in her again, threatening to strip away what little resolve she had welled up.

Her eyes then fell upon the stallion in the front row. Thunderlane watched her, his yellow eyes wide in anticipation. When their eyes met, he gave her a slight nod of encouragement. A warm smile crossed her face and she felt her fear vanish knowing that he was there for her.

Her hoof set to the string again, and with a final look his way, she began her song.

-0-

Blossomforth watched from her seat at the side of the crowd as Lyra began playing. She had been impressed that the unicorn hadn’t run away crying like she expected when she got on stage—her friend had never been one to be the center of attention. If Lyra had run off screaming like she always did, she’d be there to witness Thunderlane finally seeing that Lyra wasn’t the mare for him and then she herself would swoop in ask him out.

‘Not bad, Lyra, but let’s see how long you can last under the pressure. You’ll crack eventually.’

Blossomforth’s ears perked up as Lyra began her song. The song was a slow, haunting piece—a song she had heard other ponies play on the rare times she visited a cafe in Canterlot. A sneer crossed her face, playing a slow, sad song was no way to impress a crowd. She waited patiently for murmurs of discontent or even the outright booing.

It was then that Blossomforth let the music sink in. Her eyes widened as the music seemed to tear at her very being. On Wings of a Sparrow was a song she remembered from her fillyhood. She remembered her mother telling her the story of a young sparrow who had just gained his ability to fly, only to have a wing broken and be forced to walk the ground for the rest of its life—forever lamenting its loss.

She brought up a hoof to her eye and pulled it away to find that it was moist with her tears. “H-How…” Her eyes swept the crowd and found that many other ponies were in a similar straight. Some openly shedding tears as the song drifted around them. Not one looked like they would even begin to start booing.

Her gaze turned to Thunderlane, as he watched the oblivious Lyra play her song. His own eyes had tears around them, but the proud smile told Blossomforth that it wasn’t tears of a heart tugging.

‘No! I’m losing him!’ She looked around quickly for something, anything to break the hold the unicorn had on him. Lyra had her eyes closed, focusing on her music alone—she would not see anything coming at her.

Blossomforth dismissed that idea, she wanted her friend humiliated, not harmed. Throwing something at her wouldn’t work, not where everypony could see her do it.

Her gaze then fell on the drape over the stage’s edge, and an idea clicked. She quickly darted underneath before anypony noticed her, and crawled through the grass towards where Lyra sat. A small bore in the planking let her see that the unicorn was just above her, oblivious to the pegasus below her. Seeing Lyra play her song, capturing the heart of her stallion, drove her budding rage to a seething level.

“You will not take him. Do you hear me?” She growled, though not loud enough to be heard.

Blossomforth turned around and positioned herself to buck. A small voice pleaded for her to stop, not to do this, but it went unheeded as she brought her legs back.

-0-

Her hooves played over the strings of her trusted lyre. She didn’t have to remember the parts of the song, having long since memorized it, she played purely by ear. This allowed her to put her thoughts and emotions into her playing. This was how she had always expressed her feelings—her lyre was her outlet for all of those pent up—

Her concentration was broken as she suddenly blasted from her stool. With a startled scream she flew forward and landed on her front, sending her lyre out towards the crowd. A groan of pain later she sat up to see what had happened and found Caramel rubbing at his head.

‘Oh no!’

“Ha! There’s the old Lyra we all know!” she heard one voice say from the crowd. “An accident waiting to happen.”

A few guffaws went up at that and another voice spoke up. “Went from a musical number to slap stick humor just like that. She really is talented.”

The laughter rang up and her eyes widened. She saw the ponies laughing and pointing at her. It was happening, all those fears, they were coming true. She pressed her hooves over her ears, but that did nothing to drown out the sound. She was the laughing stock of the whole town, just like she knew would happen. The laughs and insulting points where all the proof she needed to know that she had been made a fool of. How could she have been so dense to believe that should would do anything else? She put herself out there and once again she was the butt of some cruel joke!

The tears starting running down her face, there was no trying to stop them. ‘Why? Why does this happen to me?’

“Lyra!”

She looked up to see Thunderlane crawling onto the stage and running to her aid. “Lyra, are you okay? Are you hur—”

“Get away from me!”

His head snapped back in surprise as she glared fiercely at him, tears falling down her face. It was his idea for her to get up on stage. He said that they would love her performance, that they wouldn’t laugh at her. He had promised!

“Lyra, please. Don’t let—”

She backed away from him. “How could you?! You promised me they wouldn’t laugh! You lied to me!”

His eyes widened and he darted a quick look at the crowd who had gone dead silent by the outburst.

“It isn’t like that! Lyra, please calm down.”

“Calm down?! How can I be calm when you made me the laughing stock of the entire town! Is that what you had in mind the whole time? All that being nice to me… our kiss… was it all to make me look like an idiot in front of your friends?!”

He looked at her in shock, completely unable to fathom her rage.

She tore her gaze away from, unable to look at him further. “Stay away from me, Thunderlane,” she said past a choked sob. “I don’t ever want to see you again, ever!”

Her heart broken, she ignored his pleading cry and ran from the stage as fast as her hooves would carry her—her sobs echoing as she fled. Sobs that echoed the hollowness of her heart.

The same empty feeling that strangled the heart of the stallion she left behind. He slumped to his haunches, staring after her. Ignoring the disquieted and ashamed murmurs from the crowd, he felt as if someone had reached inside and tore something from within.

“It… it wasn’t my fault… Lyra…” He lowered his face, not caring if anyone else saw the tears that fell.

Chapter Five

View Online

It was a few days later when Thunderlane and Bon Bon walked towards the door of Lyra’s home. The two exchanged a quick, worried look. Ever since the night of the talent show, Lyra had boarded herself in her home and refused to come out.

“Do you think she’ll even hear us?” Thunderlane asked her as the approached the home.

“She’ll hear us. I know Lyra, she’ll be by the door or in her living room,” Bon Bon said as a morning breeze ruffled her mane. “She’s hidden long enough, we are going to talk to her rather she wants to or not.”

“Bon Bon.” She turned to regard him. “Lets not just barge in there. I want…” He took in a breath. “I want to try just talking,” he said as they climbed the steps for the door.

Bon Bon looked at Thunderlane as he nodded for her to knock on the door. She paused a moment to look him over. The dark bags under his eyes told her that the stallion hadn’t been sleeping well, but the pleading, worrying look he wore told her he was more concerned for the mare who hid behind this door than his own health.

The knock on the door sounded louder to her ears than she thought it would. “Lyra, it’s me, Bon Bon. Let me in.”

Silence answered her.

“Lyra, I know you’re in there. You’re probably leaning against the door right now.” A pleased smile crossed her face as she heard shuffling from the other side. “Will you please come out and talk to us? Thunderlane is here, he wants to talk with you.”

The door refused to answer.

“Lyra! If you don’t—” Bon Bon stopped as she felt Thunderlane’s hoof rest on her shoulder. He shook his head softly and spoke to the door.

“Lyra, please, I just want to talk about… that night. Please open the door.”

There was some shuffling from beyond the door, but it remained closed.

He lowered his head, taking in a few breaths before speaking again. “I swear by Celestia that I didn’t know anything about what happened. I know I promised they wouldn’t laugh at you but…” He grit his teeth. “Please believe me when I say I’m sorry. I… couldn’t have done anything different. Please don’t be mad at me.”

The sound of a choked sob came from the other side of the door, and Thunderlane’s eyes went wide.

“Lyra!” he called. He again tried to pull at the door, but it remained locked.

“Please go away!” The sound of a sob coming from the door again. “I don’t… I don’t want to see you again!”

Bon Bon grimaced and looked at Thunderlane, she could see the tears rimming his eyes before he blinked them away.

“Please don’t say that.,” he said softly, his ears laying back. “I only want to talk this out.”

“No! Just go away,” came the stubborn reply.

He lowered his head again, gritting his teeth in a futile effort to stop the tears from running down his face. “I… I don’t want it to end like this. Please, Lyra, give me another chance?”

“Please… Go…” The words were so softly spoken they barely heard them.

Bon Bon felt her hackles rise up and her eyes blazed at the door. “Lyra! You are being—”

Again she felt Thunderlane stop her, a soft shake of his head telling her he didn’t have it in him to go down that route.

She brushed off his hoof. “No! She is just being stubborn. She needs to hear this, and she needs to talk to you!”

He shook his head and turned away. He stopped for a moment, casting a grief-filled look back at the door, before continuing on— his gaze held straight ahead.

Bon Bon looked between him and Lyra’s door. She knew these two were making a mistake, why didn’t they see it? The answer was so obvious.

Yet, he kept on walking and the door didn’t open.

“By the Sisters,” she swore and chased after him. “Thunderlane, wait!”

She galloped until she pulled alongside him. “Why are you letting her go so easily? You love her, I can see that plain as day—anyone can. Why won’t you go back and try to work things out?”

He cast a sidelong look towards her. “I did try, Bon Bon. I tried to reason with her, but she’s not listening to me. I love her, I do, just…” He sighed in frustration, his tail flickering.

She grit her teeth in frustration. “Then tell her that! Tell her you love her, she needs to hear it. Haven’t you told her that before?”

Her eyes widened as he looked away, an ashamed look on his face. “Wait… You haven’t told her?”

His avoidance of her eyes was all the answer she needed. “You never told her!” Her voice practically ringing around them. “Thunderlane, don’t you know how important that is?”

He gulped. “I want to tell her, but she won’t listen to me now. She’ll think I’ll be lying to her.”

Bon Bon wanted to rip her mane out—or his. “How can you be so dense!” She threw a helpless look to the sky. “Stallions, I swear…”

A scowl spread across his muzzle and he looked to the sky. “I need to get to work,” he said flatly.

“No! You need—”

With a flap of his wings he took off to the sky, ignoring the calls she shouted at him. She watched the pegasus soar through the sky, and growled softly in frustration. Time to get to the bottom of this and get it fixed. She was not about to let her friend lose a stallion who so obviously cared for her.

Bon Bon pulled at her mane with growl of frustration, falling to her haunches. “Why are they being so stupid?”

She sat there for a moment, glaring ahead at nothing in particular. Bon Bon knew that if the two did not make up soon—if not today—their relationship might not survive this. She knew that both of them cared for each other deeply—even if Thunderlane was too thick headed to realize he needed to actually say it!

She looked to the sky where Thunderlane had flown off too. While she couldn’t do anything about him, there was someone that she could talk to. And she was going to listen to her rather she wanted to or not!

Anypony who saw the charging Bon Bon quickly scrambled out of the her way in fear of being bowled over.

When she got back to Lyra’s home, there was nothing gentle about the knock on the door.

“Lyra! Open this door right now!”

“No! Go away, I don’t want to see anyone!” came Lyra’s stubborn reply.

A fresh scowl crossed her face. “If you don’t open this door right now, I’m going to kick your door down and drag you out here!”

“You wouldn’t da—” That was as far as Lyra got before Bon Bon whirled and bucked. The door rattled on its frame and a horrified scream erupted from the other side.

“Bon Bon! Are you crazy!”

“Come out or I’ll kick it again!”

“Why can’t you just—”

Bon Bon kicked the door again, the wood threatening to buckle with the next one. A small part of her realized that she might have to pay to have the door fixed, but that meant nothing to her at the moment.

“S-Stop! I-I’m coming out,” came Lyra’s plea.

With a huff, Bon Bon let her irritation out. As irritated as she was, she knew that shouting in Lyra’s face wasn’t going to solve anything. That didn’t mean that the unicorn was not about to get the talking to of her life.

When she heard the lock give and the knob turn, Bon Bon was prepared to meet her friends angry words with words of her own, but that all melted away when she looked at her friend.

Instead of the irritated or outright angry expression, Lyra instead looked like she had been crying for days. Her eyes were a bright red and bags hung darkly under them, while her mane was tussled and unkept. The expression in her eyes though is what melted Bon Bon’s ire away.

She saw shame in those yellow irises. “L-Lyra?”

The unicorn looked away, unable to look her in the eyes. “What do you want, Bon Bon?”

She stood straighter. “We’re worried about you, Lyra. You’ve hidden yourself away ever since the talent show, and you hurt Thunderlane.” She winced as that remark slipped past her and the unicorn looked away. “Sorry.”

Lyra nodded her head mutely.

Bon Bon rubbed at the back of her head for a moment. “Can I come in? So we can talk?”

Lyra stood there for a moment before stepping out of the way. The earth pony trotted inside and saw that just about every light in the home was off and it was so unusually quiet. Normally before, Lyra’s house was so warm and inviting. Now, it seemed like grief had set over the home like a thick cloak.

She turned back to her friend as she heard the door close and Lyra look at her. “Do you want some tea?”

Bon Bon nodded slowly. “Set the pot, but come back in here. We have a lot of talking to do.”

Again there was the muted nod before Lyra stepped into her kitchen. She only had to wait a few minutes before Lyra returned and settled on her couch. “Is he… is he mad at me?”

A sigh escaped through her nose before Bon Bon sat next to her friend. “No. No he’s not. He’s just so worried about you that he can barely stand. And your avoiding him is not helping in the slightest.”

Lyra instantly lowered her eyes, and Bon Bon saw the shame in them again. “I can’t see him, Bon Bon. Ever again.”

A spike of irritation rose, but Bon Bon swallowed it back. “Lyra, what is with you? You love him, don’t you?”

She again nodded.

“And you know he loves you.” Her ears and eyes leveled. “Even if he hasn’t actually said it yet.”

Lyra swallowed and nodded once more.

“Then why don’t you want to see him?” She rested a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “You know what happened at the talent show wasn’t his fault. Accidents happen, you know they do. So why are you mad at him?”

Bon Bon’s ears flickered as Lyra uttered something to soft to be heard.

“What did you say?”

Lyra looked back up at her, moisture ringing her eyes. “I said I’m not mad at him.”

It took Bon Bon’s mind a moment to process what she heard, blinking in surprise. “What? You’re not mad at him? Then why don’t you talk to him? Don’t you know how much he’s upset because he thinks you’re mad at him?”

Lyra choked back a sob. “That’s… that’s why I can’t ever see him again. Not after what I’ve done.” Her gaze shot back up. “After what I’ve said!”

Bon Bon felt her eye twitch, but again she restrained the urge to whack her friend upside the head. “What do you mean? All it takes is for you to say sorry to fix the problem. Why can’t you just say you’re sorry?”

“But I can’t!” Lyra buried her face into her hooves. “Not after yelling at him like that in front of the whole town. Not after blaming him for something that wasn’t his fault. I can’t bear to look at him after what I’ve said. He hates me, I know he does!”

“Lyra, that—”

“I felt so ashamed!” Lyra cut her off, tears running down her face. “I was just so upset and embarrassed that I lashed out at him when it wasn’t even his fault. How can he forgive me after doing something like that? He-He...”

As her friend once more started crying, Bon Bon wasn’t sure what she wanted to do more: strangle her or comfort her—she was clearly deserving of at least one of them.

She opted for the later when she pulled the unicorn into a hug. Lyra only put of a brief resistance before wrapping her forelegs around her barrel.

“Lyra, I love you like a sister and all, so I’m going to tell you something. You are being st—thick headed. You’re telling me the only reason you’ve locked yourself up and refused to see anyone was because you were feeling guilty?”

She felt her friend stiffen up at that. “N-No, not… entirely.”

Bon Bon rolled her eyes, her ears flattening again. “You’re a horrible liar.”

Lyra sat back and looked at her friend. “But what I did was wrong though. Why would he want to talk to me again?”

Bon Bon facehooved. “You’ve read way too many romance novels, Lyra. That’s not how things actually work. The hero doesn’t go on some quest to redeem himself for the heroine, they talk things out.” She pointed hoof at her. “That’s all you have to do. Find him, apologize, and talk things out. That is it.”

“But… what do I say? I’ll just embarrass myself again.” She lowered her gaze. “I don’t think I could look him in the eyes after all that.”

Bon Bon growled softly. “Lyra, if you put yourself down again, I am going to bop you.”

Lyra gave her a worried look and leaned away. “You wouldn’t.”

“Just like I wasn’t going to kick down your door?”

Bon Bon couldn’t help a small chuckle as Lyra gave a nervous gulp.

“Now listen, Lyra, I’m telling you you have a good thing with Thunderlane. Caramel gives me the same looks that Thunderlane gives you, that’s how I know he is head over hooves for you.” She wrapped a foreleg around her friend’s withers and spoke softer. “Please don’t let this opportunity pass you by. You will end up regretting it if you do.”

Lyra sniffed and looked at her. “But… what do I say?”

“You say what’s in your heart and mean it. Don’t try to over think it, it won’t work out no matter how you plan it. Just find him and speak to him, and speak truthfully. I promise you, it will work out.”

Lyra nodded quietly, though the kettle was making its shrill whistle, it was left unheeded as she focused on her friend's words.

“Lyra, what did I say?” Bon Bon asked her with some annoyance.

She looked back at her with a faintly worried look. “But I wasn’t putting myself down.”

Bon Bon’s facehoof seemed to echo loudly in the house. “No, what did I say about thinking too much? Just go and find him already. You have to be the one to make things right. So why are you still sitting on the couch and not out trying to find him?”

Lyra rubbed at the back of her head. “W-Well… I—”

“Go, Lyra!”

The unicorn jumped, stumbling quickly towards the door. She stepped outside, hesitant at first, but each step she took was more confident than the last, and soon she was outright galloping.

Bon Bon watched her from the doorway and a warm smile slowly spread across her face. “Thatta girl.”

-0-

He made sure that the cloud was in it’s place before moving on to the next. The combining the weekly rainstorm with the winds that tugged at his mane, Thunderlane knew his small hometown of Ponyville was going to have a decent storm this time. Hopefully the earth pony and unicorn volunteers had cleared the old and dead branches from the trees before they were supposed to start the rain.

After he put the most recent cloud in place, a soft sigh escaped him and he paused to rub at his dry eyes.

“Ahh, can’t focus…” he muttered to himself and looked around as the rest of the weather team was hard at work putting together the storm. “What I wouldn’t give for a nap right now.”

A slow breath later and he looked in the direction of the home of a certain unicorn. ‘Actually, I know what I would rather want right now.’

That, however, was going to have to wait. As much as he wanted to rush over to Lyra’s house, he had his responsibilities as a weather pony that he had to do first. Personal feelings would have to come later, no matter how badly he wanted them at that moment.

“Hey, Thunderlane,” he heard a voice greet him. He turned to see Blossomforth push another cloud next to where he had just placed his. “How’re you doing?”

He gave a tired sigh and rubbed at his face, not even trying to hide his turmoil. “I could be better.”

She gave him an understanding look. “Lyra?”

He nodded and went to gather another cloud, Blossomforth trailing after him. As they gathered the cloud, he shared another look with her. “Have you talked with Lyra any?”

A faint frown crossed her face but it was quickly gone. “No, I haven’t tried yet. I know how she gets when she’s like that. She can be a bit pigheaded sometimes.”

So caught up in his thinking, he missed the vehemence in her tone. “You’ve known her for a long time. How long does she usually stay mad?”

Blossomforth snorted quietly. “With Lyra, you never know. She’s always been a wallflower. She’s been so socially awkward for as long as I can remember, I’m surprised she ever worked up the courage to get on stage like she did.”

A sigh escaped him as he remembered that night. A night that had started out so well, yet ended so horribly.

The night he first felt heartache.

“I wish… I could have done something,” he quietly uttered.

Her ears flickered and she turned a look at him. She bit at her lower lip a moment before speaking. “Thunderlane, you can’t blame yourself for Lyra’s clumsiness. That’s just how she is. Don’t let her make you upset.”

His ears laid back as they set another cloud in its place. “I promised her nopony would laugh at her, and I meant it. I feel like I’ve broken my promise to her, but it wasn’t my fault.” He sighed for the upteempth time that day before looking at her. “Didn’t you hear her play? It was beautiful. I honestly thought they all would have loved her playing as much as I did.” His eyes half-lidded as he recalled that night. “She was beautiful.”

“But it wasn’t your fault. You shouldn’t be upset because of her.” She kicked a cloud back in place as it started to drift. “You’re too nice of a guy for that.”

The faintest of smiles played across his face. “Thanks, Blossomforth.”

She smiled widely. “Anytime for you, Thunderlane.”

He sighed again as his gaze drifted back across the town. “Still… I just don’t like the idea that our relationship is going to end like this. I don’t want it to end at all.” He looked up to the sky above him, his gaze distant. “Maybe after work I’ll go try to talk to her again.”

“She won’t want to talk to you,” Blossomforth said, quickly. “She won’t talk to anyone when she’s sulking.”

He looked away, a saddened expression in his eyes. “Maybe…”

When she gulped loud enough for him to hear, he turned to regard her. “Is something wrong?”

A faint blush crossed her face, but she mustered up the courage to look him in the eyes. “This might seem a little soon, but…” She ran a shaking hoof through her mane. “Would you want to get some dinner after work? Just you and me? Maybe a good dinner out can help you forget about Lyra.”

While he did smile at the offer, he shook his head. “Thank you, Blossomforth. As much as I’d like to, I really want to patch things up with Lyra.”

She blinked, an expression of hurt crossing her face. “But… why not?”

“I just…” He looked away. “I just can’t.”

She ground her teeth before speaking. “I really don’t see what you see in her, Thunderlane. I really don’t.”

He tilted his head at her, his brow furrowing. “What do you mean?”

“I just don’t see it. What is it about Lyra that you like so much? She’s so clumsy and awkward, she can’t be any fun to go on dates with. Just what do you see in her?”

His head snapped back in surprise. “Wait, why are you saying that? I thought Lyra was your friend?”

Blossomforth scowled. “She was my friend, until she stole the stallion I was trying to date for the past few months.”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “But who are you trying to date? I th—”

“You, Thunderlane!” she yelled, glaring intently at him. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for months now, but you never once ever paid any attention to me. All those times I tried asking you to hang out with me, or have lunch with me, I was trying to get you to notice! But you always had this Tartarus-may-care attitude that I thought I was going to have to do something drastic for you to notice me!”

He sputtered at her emotional outburst. “B-But, you… I—”

“But then Lyra came along, played one little song for you, and you fall head over fetlocks for her? I don’t get it! What did I do wrong? Am I not attractive to you at all? Was I not straightforward enough? I just don’t get you, at all, Thunderlane.”

Thunderlane pulled at his mane, what in the world was he supposed to say to that? Her outburst soon drew the attention of the other weather pegasi, who watched the two cautiously.

“Blossomforth, I…” He growled softly, struggling to find something to say. “I’ve always liked you as a friend, you’re one of my best friends on the weather team, I just… didn’t know you thought about me like that.”

She huffed, crossing her forelegs. “You mean you couldn’t tell I was trying to get your attention? That I should have tried flirting harder?”

A blush crept across his face. “I… guess?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Yet, you still love Lyra?”

He looked away again for a quiet moment before nodding. “I do.”

She growled and threw up her forelegs. “Why?!”

He whirled on her, his own gaze narrowing. “Because she makes me feel good! Being around Lyra made me feel happy. I felt that I could take on the world with her beside me. When ever I made her smile, I felt… great. I’ve seen who Lyra really is, and you know what? I loved what I saw. I saw a mare with a huge heart and a different look on the world that I hadn’t seen before. Yes she is clumsy, and sometimes awkward, but that is something about her I love. Why can’t you understand that?!”

She blinked in turn to his own outburst. “But—”

Turned his gaze away from her. “Now do you understand why I love her? And why I don’t want to let her go?”

Her scowl returned and she also looked away. “I thought that seeing Lyra get kicked across the stage would—”

He blinked and looked back at her. “Wait? Kicked? I thought Lyra just slipped off the stool.”

Her eyes widened. “I meant slipped. I didn’t mean kicked.”

His eyes narrowed at her, urgency coming into his tone. “Blossomforth, do you know what happened to Lyra? Did someone deliberately do something to her?”

She gulped and shook her head. “N-No. I wouldn’t know anything.”

“Blossomforth—” His gaze hardening.”—tell me the truth. Do you know what happened to Lyra? Do you know who was responsible?”

“No! Why would I know?” He could see the sweat glistening off her forehead. “It’s not like she got hurt or anything.”

“No, just embarrassed in front of the whole town!”

“It wasn’t what I planned to do!”

His jaw dropped in shock, disbelieving of what he had just heard. “I-It was you.” His mouth twisted, a mixture of shock and anger rising in his eyes. “You’re the one who embarrassed Lyra? Why Blossomforth? Why would you do that to her?!”

“Because she was stealing you away from me!” she yelled right in his face, and he could see the pain and anger in her eyes. “I’ve worked so hard, so hard to get you to notice me, but instead, you went after her! I couldn’t let it happen. I care for you too much to lose you to somepony like Lyra!”

Thunderlane and the rest of the weather team all stared at her, some in shock, but mostly in outrage. As badly as he wanted to yell at her, to tell her how much of a horrible pony she was for sabotaging her own best friend out of a fit of jealousy, he just couldn’t find it in him to be angry at her. Instead he felt something else, and it caused a sickening feeling to form in his gut.

“How could you, Blossomforth? She was your friend, how could you betray her like that?” He spat. “You were so afraid of losing me to her? What kind of an excuse is that?” Blossomforth flinched back, guilt flashing in her eyes, but Thunderlane was far too angry to notice. “Well, if getting me was your goal, then you can forget about it. I can’t even stand to look at you anymore.”

He turned away, ignoring the stricken look that crossed Blossomforth’s face, and shot Rainbow Dash a look. “I’m taking off early, boss. I have someone I need to talk to.”

Rainbow gave him a nod, as she glared at Blossomforth. “Do you what you have to, Thunderlane.”

“Thunderlane, wait!”

He turned back to give Blossomforth a look of utter disgust, but looking at the hurt in her eyes and the quivering of her lip, he felt his ire slipping some.

“Please, Thunderlane, don’t,” she said in a wisp of a voice. “Please don’t do this to me.”

“You should have thought of that before you decided to betray your friend.” He looked away. Knowing that he was the source of Blossomforth’s distress hurt him on another level, but he roughly pushed the feeling aside, reminding himself of what she had done. “I don’t want to talk to you. Not now, and not for a very long time.”

“Y-You can’t mean that,” he heard her say. He gritted his teeth at the crack in her voice. “Please, don’t turn away from me, Thunderlane. Please.”

“I’ve got to find Lyra, and apologize.” He shot a final glare at her. “You might want to consider doing the same.”

He didn’t wait for her to respond, flapping his wings to speed away so fast that Blossomforth only had time to lift a hoof his way before he was gone. She watched him go, soaring for Lyra’s house as quickly as his wings could carry him. The tears began to run down her face, and she felt the scathing glares of the rest of the weather team boring figurative holes into her. She turned to face them, but all they did was turn their noses up at her.

“Come on, guys, we have a storm to finish,” Rainbow said.

As the rest of the team dispersed, Rainbow gave her a final look before shaking her head and gathering the next cloud.

A sob escaped Blossomforth, and soon many more followed as the feeling of loss and guilt finally crashed down on her like a stone. Not one of the remaining weather ponies so much as spared her a look or a drop of pity as she covered her face to cry.

-0-

The first peal of thunder sounded from overhead, echoing loudly across the village, but it didn’t matter to Lyra. Pinning her ears back, she ran through the streets of Ponyville as its other citizens were quickly ducking into their homes as the storm was about to start. Her gaze was glued to the grumbling skies above, hoping to catch sight of the stallion she had to find.

She couldn’t believe how stupid she had been, well… she could, but it made so much sense at the time. Being mad and upset over what had happened was just how she reacted—lashing out like a little filly because someone called her a nasty name. It was foalish to have acted like she had, but it took Bon Bon’s intervention to finally help her see it—even if it was under threat of a bopping.

The wind had started to pick up and she felt it tugging at her mane and tail, but she wouldn’t let that stop her. She had to find him.

“Thunderlane!” Her shout was drowned out as the lightning flashed and the thunder quickly followed. She looked to the sky again, and blinked as the rain began. Wiping at her face, she called out again.

“Thunderlane! Where are you?” She looked around, biting at her lip. “Where can he be?” She ran on some more, her hooves clopping on the increasingly wet streets, calling his name out over the wind that began to howl.

‘Why can’t I find him? He should be out here with the storm. Thunderlane, where are you?’

A flash of light caused her squeal in fright and the resulting clash of thunder caused her to bring her forelegs over her head. When she looked back up at the sky, her eyes went wide, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks. The clouds above were black and angry, and she watched as they began to roll and turn overhead.

‘This is bad. This is bad! I’ve got to get inside before I get hurt!’

Scrambling back to her hooves, she turned and fled back down the road for home. The wind picked up and loose branches and leaves slapped at her face as she ran. She squinted against the gale and used her magic to keep the debris from hitting her further, but she felt she wasn’t getting far. As much as she wanted to find Thunderlane, she knew that getting herself hurt wasn’t going to do either of them any good.

Her vision flashed and she fell to the ground with a scream as a bolt of lightning struck a tree along the road. Little lights danced around her eyes as she shook her head to clear the dizziness. The sound of snapping wood made her look up to see a large branch of the struck tree falling towards her.

Panic welled up inside her and she found her legs wouldn’t move to her desperate call.

“No, NO!” She threw her forelegs up in a vain attempt to save herself.

She grunted as something hit her in the side and she felt herself flying away. It was funny, she thought, she was for sure that being hit with a tree limb would have hurt a lot worse. The branch felt, fuzzy and warm—not like the rough bark she expected. How hard did it hit her for her to still feel like she was flying?

She slowly opened an eye to find herself flying along the street towards her home, being carried in the arms of a frantically flapping pegasus stallion.

“Thunderlane!” she cried, wrapping her forelegs around him tightly and burying her face into his neck.

“You’re crazy, Lyra, you know that!” He pumped his wings harder, fighting against the gale as her home came within view.

Her eyes widened as she saw that he meant to ram the door. “Thunderlane, no! The door swings outward!”

He swore and flapped his wings in reverse , straining to keep from slamming into the solid oak door. The sudden stop caused him to lose his grip on her and the two tumbled through the mud slicked streets. She was quickly on her hooves and reached for his.

“Come on!” The door opened to her magical call, and pulled him inside. As soon as they were in, she slammed the door shut behind them as the storm continued to pound away.

The two stood in the foyer, their breathing labored as they waited for the adrenaline rush to ease; as water and mud dripped from their coats to the floor. As one, they turned to look each other in the eye. Seeing the worry for her in his eyes she just wanted blurt out her apology.

“I’m sorry!” they said in unison.

They both stood there, staring at each other in shock.

“You go first,” they said together once again.

When they facehooved at the same time, it sent the two of them into a burst of helpless laughter.

Thunderlane managed to get his laughter under control first, and the warmth of his expression faded to one of seriousness. “Lyra, I’m sorry. I—”

She put a hoof over his mouth and she gave him a soft look. “No, let me go first.” Lowering her gaze, she took in a deep breath and let out slowly. She bit at her lip—a soft whimper escaping her.

He reached for her. “Lyra—”

“Thunderlane, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry for yelling at you! It wasn’t your fault and I yelled at you like a spoiled little filly. I—” she forced back a sob, “—didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m so ashamed.” She lowered her gaze to her hooves.

He wrapped a foreleg around her and pulled her closer. “Lyra, you were upset and I don’t blame you for lashing out. I was upset too.”

She sniffed and pulled back to look at him in the face, knowing that her tears had matted the fur under her eyes. “Were you upset at me?”

He shook his head slowly. “No, I was only worried for you. I was upset that everypony had laughed at you, when it wasn’t your fault.”

She quickly wiped at her nose and stepped back. “But it was my fault. I tripped and made a fool of myself. Like I always do.”

Her eyes widened as she saw his gaze harden. “No, it wasn’t you at all.”

“W-What do you mean?”

“It was Blossomforth! She was under the stage and kicked you from below!”

She felt her blood go cold. It had felt like something had hit her from below, now that she thought about it. “But… would Blossomforth do that? No, she’s my friend, she wouldn’t do something like that to me.”

His expression softened some, and she thought she saw shame in his features. “She told me, Lyra. She admitted everything in front of me, and the entire weather team too.”

Hearing him say that, she knew he wasn’t lying. She looked to her hooves, unable to process what she was hearing. “But why? Why did she do that to me?”

He looked away for a moment. “She was jealous.”

Her gaze snapped back up to him. “Jealous?”

“Of you,” he said, turning back to her. “She was jealous of us dating.”

“But… what about the stallion she was trying to date? What happened to him?”

He closed his eyes and sighed. “That was me. She said she had been trying to date me.”

Lyra sucked in a breath and her eyes widened. “You? But-that-it-I—” She shook her head to clear away the shock and to reboot her brain. “Huh?”

He nodded slowly. “She said she had been trying to get my attention for a while, but…” He shook his head as well. “I just didn’t see it. I didn’t know she felt like that at all.”

“All those things I said to her…” Lyra lowered her gaze.” Oh, Blossomforth, I didn’t know.”

He looked back at her. “Lyra…” His words trailed away and he looked to his hooves again.

She saw the worry in his face and she touched him on the shoulder. “Talk to me, Thunderlane. Don’t look away.”

When he looked back, she saw the tears rimming his eyes. “Lyra, I don’t want to lose you. When you ran from me that night at the talent show, it hurt so much. Seeing you run away from me, crying… it hurt. When you refused to talk with me afterwards, I was sure you hated me. And that… hurt more than anything else I’ve known.”

She brought up a hoof to her mouth, to try to stop the sob that wanted to escape her.

“I-I don’t want you to hate me, Lyra. I-I…” He gulped before taking in a breath. “I love you.”

Those three words rang in her mind like a great bell in a chapel. Hearing them from his mouth, knowing that he meant each one of them, set her heart to hammering and her stomach aflutter. He loved her.

So caught up in her feelings, she didn’t hear the rest of his dialogue. It was only when he had stopped did she see him peering at her, his expression both concerned and worried.

“Lyra?”

“You… you love me?” she asked in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

A slow, hopeful smile crossed his face. “I do love you, Lyra. I’m sorry I never said it sooner. You’re the most amazing mare I’ve ever met, and when I’m with you… I feel like I can challenge the world. As long as you’re with me, I know I can wake up everyday with a smile on my face.”

There was no stopping the sob. Despite her best efforts, it escaped her fitfully and she threw her forelegs around him. “Thunderlane, I’m s-so sorry!” She buried her muzzle into his shoulder and let all the pent up emotions flow out of her through her tears. “You, I love you too. I-I thought you hated me for what I did. I was—” a hiccup escaped her— “so scared to talk to you again because I-I thought you would never want to talk to me again.”

He rested on his haunches and wrapped her up in a hug as well, holding her tightly as she cried it out on his shoulder. As she cried, he nuzzled at her mane and spoke softly. “It won’t happen again, I promise it.”

A sniff, another hiccup escaped her as she pulled back to peer at him through the tresses of her mane. “Y-You promise?”

He brushed aside those tresses to look into her eyes, and she saw the warmth, the love in his amber eyes. “I swear by it. Never again.”

She didn’t wait for it, she pulled him close and kissed him fully. Caught off guard, he hesitated, but only for second before returning that kiss passionately. The two held onto each other tightly as the storm raged on outside, completely forgotten.

Chapter Six

View Online

Her ears flickered as she heard the playing ahead, the sounds of the lyre drifting above the soft breeze and the nighttime chorus of insects. The tall grass tickled at Blossomforth’s fur as she made her way towards the small clearing she knew where Lyra liked to play alone.

She tucked a strand of her mane behind an ear, her eyes red and dry. Dark bags hung under her eyes as she thought ahead of the confrontation that she knew was coming. Ever since that day near a week ago, when she blurted out her feelings for Thunderlane and admitted to what she had done, she had found that nearly everyone in Ponyville gave her disapproving glares or curt words. Even Bon Bon refused to give her more than a harsh dismissal.

Thinking back on the first few days, she angrily returned those looks and words. They didn’t know what it had been like to have been her. They didn’t know what it was like to be spurned by the stallion she loved. To be find out that she had been second fiddle to her socially inept friend Lyra Heartstrings!

Eventually though, those glares cut through the wall of stubbornness she had hidden behind. When even Bon Bon refused to look at her, she felt guilt begin to claw through her wall. She had remembered the night that she lay in bed, unable to sleep, when realization had struck her. All that she had done, she had done out of sheer jealousy. She had betrayed her friend when she was most vulnerable and reveled in it.

A tear gathered around her eye, and she was quick to flick it away. Tonight, she was going to apologize to her friend. Even if Lyra told her to leave and never come back, she was going to apologize anyway. The thought of another sleepless, guilt-ridden night caused a shudder to course through her spine.

She held her head up higher and picked up her pace through the tall grass. No matter what, she was going to try.

As she came upon the clearing, she paused to regard Lyra. The unicorn sat alone on her tree stump, eyes closed as she played a haunting song on her lyre. Blossomforth saw there was no one else around, not even the wild animals seemed to be intruding upon Lyra’s personal moment. When she looked at Lyra, Blossomforth felt that brief spark of jealousy, but it was quickly washed away by her determination. Taking in a slow breath, she stepped through the underbrush.

“L-Lyra?” she asked, her voice softer than she had wanted it to be.

The unicorn started as she was pulled out of her reverie. She turned to regard Blossomforth for a moment before turning away pointedly, picking up her song where she had left off.

A pang of grief struck Blossomforth at her friend’s dismissal, hitting her deeply within. Seeing her friend shun her like that hurt more than she thought it would. Yet she wouldn’t allow her resolution to slip, she just couldn’t.

“Lyra, can we please talk?”

The unicorn continued to play, not so much as turning towards her.

Blossomforth lowered her head, her eyes half lidding. “I… don’t blame you for being mad at me. What I did was wrong, Lyra, and I want to apologize for everything I’ve done.” She looked back up at her friend. “Will you please talk to me?”

The music continued unabated.

Blossomforth felt the first of the tears gather at the corners of her eyes. “So, you hate me too? Everypony hates me now, and I don’t blame them. I can’t blame them. Bon Bon refuses to talk to me, won’t even let me in her store. The weather team ignores me, especially Thunderlane. I can’t even walk through town without someone glaring at me. But I—” her breath caught for a moment, “—messed up. I messed up royally, Lyra. What I did was wrong, and I deserve what I get.”

Lyra’s ears flickered but she continued to play that haunting melody.

The song, coupled with her spilling all of her pent up emotions, caused her to slump to her haunches, unable to continue standing. “I hope that you and Thunderlane are happy with each other. I should have seen what I was doing, should have just been happy for you that you found someone. And I should never have tried to take away your happiness, never.”

Her gaze lifted to see the unicorn’s ears pin back, but that was the only change in her demeanor. “I realize now that I was jealous of you, and that jealousy has cost me everything. My self-respect, my friends, my co-workers and worst of all… my best friend in the world.” She sniffed and wiped at her nose. “For everything, Lyra, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I can only hope that one day you’ll forgive me. I-I never wanted to hurt you, I just…” she choked back a sob. “I just want us to be friends again. Please, don’t turn me away. You have every right to, but please, Lyra.”

When Lyra made no move, other than to continue playing, Blossomforth lowered her head, feeling a tightening in her gut as she realized that some bridges might never be mended. “I-I understand. I won’t bother you again.” She turned away, the sounds of the crunching grass under her hooves were a fitting example of how broken she felt inside. “You’ve always been my best friend, Lyra, and I’m sorry that I hurt you. I’ll-I’ll see you around.”

Just as she spread her wings to take off, she felt a tugging on her tail. She blinked in surprise to find it glowing with a yellow aura. It was then she realized the music had stopped playing.

“Blossomforth…”

She looked up to see Lyra looking at her, her eyes holding a sadness to them, but there was something else in those amber orbs.

Forgiveness.

“You… you really mean it, don’t you?” Lyra asked, looking at Blossomforth.

She landed back on her hooves and turned to face her, a spark of hope building. “I know I was wrong, Lyra, and how much I hurt you. When I realized what I’d done…” she shook her head, face contorted with guilt. “It’s been eating me up ever since.” She slumped to her haunches, her head bowed. “I’m s—”

That was as far as she got before she felt herself pulled into a fierce hug. She sat for a shocked second before she melted into the hug. All of those emotions poured through her, the bitterness, the regret, the shame, all of it flown as she felt her friend’s accepting embrace. As she felt that hug, all of her walls, all of her stubbornness fell apart. She didn’t try to dash away the tears that started to flow, no longer caring about her pride. Wrapping her forelegs around her friend, and burying her face into her shoulder, she let them flow.

“You’re still my friend, Blossomforth.” She felt Lyra rub her head against her own. “And I forgive you.”

Those words, it was like a great weight had been lifted from her back. “T-Thank you…” she said in a whisper of a voice.

-0-

The stage had been set, the lights had dimmed, and Lyra found herself standing behind the curtains. The crowd had hushed, and eagerly awaited for her to appear on stage. She took in a slow breath and let it out just as slowly as she recalled the days that had lead up to this. Her friends had gone before the organizers of the talent show and pleaded with them to give her a second chance at performing. While the organizers were understanding that what had happened during her act hadn’t been Lyra’s fault, they couldn’t let her retry for the competition, as the winner had already been announced. When Blossomforth had shown and pleaded her case, however, they had agreed to let Lyra play one more time—as the closing act to the contest.

A smile played across Lyra’s face as Thunderlane brought the news to her. He had been so excited and supportive of her that she had agreed to a second performance without a second thought. After their reconciliation, she and Thunderlane had rarely been apart. Lyra had found herself wanting to spend more and more time with the pegasus. His easy smile, the way he held his head confidently when he was with her, his playful banter with Rainbow Dash whenever she would lecture him about slacking on the job, all of it caused her smile to grow. Even the little things like the way his wing would drape over her withers as they walked, the warmth of his fur as they would cuddle, and the way his back leg would give a little kick when she nuzzled him behind the ear…

She shook her head to keep her thoughts from going down that road further, otherwise she wouldn’t be able to focus for her performance. That didn’t keep the warm blush from shining brightly on her face, however.

Taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, she gathered her lyre, the curtains rustled as she stepped out onto the stage. The stage lights shown down on her as she surveyed the applauding crowd. She saw Bon Bon sitting next to Caramel, the latter’s foreleg wrapped around her friend. Blossomforth sat next to them, her smile wide and her eyes showing both relief and joy. She gave quick fleeting smiles to her friends before her gaze settled on the stallion who sat front row and center. Thunderlane sat watching her with warm proud eyes, a slight smile on his muzzle.

As she looked into those eyes, she could see the love and affection in his amber orbs. She could see that he did truly love her and she returned that love with a look of her own. Knowing that he was there, front row and center just as he promised, sent another wave of warmth through her and she held her head up confidently as she spoke to the crowd.

"Good evening, everypony,” she said as she took her seat on the stool that had been set on the stage for her. “I hope everyone is having a good time this evening.”

A chorus of murmurs went up with their applause, a few even whistled at her.

A blush highlighted her cheeks at the cheers but held her head up higher. “I want to thank you all for giving me this chance to play for you again. I couldn’t have done it without my friends supporting me and being there for me when I was going through a rough time.”

She saw Blossomforth lower her head as a few turned glares her way, but when Bon Bon glared right back at them and wrapped a foreleg around her shoulders, Blossomforth gave a slight smile and sat back up. Blossomforth even turned a look at Thunderlane, but after a moment’s look he turned away from her.

Lyra plucked a few chords on her lyre, settling the crowd to silence before she addressed them again. “Most of all, I want to thank a certain someone.” Her eyes turned to Thunderlane as she saw his smile widen. “A stallion who had come into my life and showed me that there was more to me than clumsy hooves. He showed me that even a klutz like myself can find love when she least expects it.” She smiled a bit and settled on her stool more comfortably. “I’ve played many songs by famous composers before, but since meeting him, a new song has come to me. A song that came from my heart—because of him.”

She set her hoof to the strings of her lyre, her gaze falling to him. He gave a smile and slight nod, and she felt that warmth rush through her again. With that feeling firmly in her mind, she began to play the song of her heart.

The opening notes drifted around the spectators and all pairs of ears stood tall, and all pairs of eyes widened. Lyra caressed a slow, haunting melody out of her little instrument—carrying with it the feeling of one who had little hope, and was always lonely. It spoke of days alone, of longing of companionship, where everyday was full of uncertainty. Many members of the audience wiped at their eyes, their loved ones giving them understanding looks, or forelegs around their withers.

Then, the song picked up a hopeful tempo, picking up in pace and in higher notes. Tears dried as the audience members looked back to Lyra, a soft smile playing across her face. The feeling of a budding hope drifted through them, cutting through the mire of loneliness. A feeling of love, slowly budding, but always cautious that something could happen. The melody continued its pace, and many of the audience members scooted forward in their chairs.

A faint blush crept on to Lyra’s face as the song slowed for an instant, before it suddenly burst forward in to a fast paced, jubilant tempo. Like a dam overflowing, the love that had been budding now blossomed fully, seeming to brighten the very air itself. The sudden change had many of the audience stunned for a moment before happy smiles crossed their faces, and heads could be seen bobbing along throughout the crowd. The surge of positive emotions lifted the spirits of the entire hall, and many tears of sadness gave way to ones of happiness.

In the midst of it all, Lyra stood, her hooves still playing over the strings of her lyre. Swaying to the tempo of her song, she approached the edge of the stage, her eyes half lidded as she focused on Thunderlane. The stallion who had captured her heart, showed her kindness she had never expected to see, and allowed her heart soar.

She knelt by the edge of the stage, her eyes on his, as her song came to an end. The entire audience held a collected breath as she spoke softly to him, their eyes locked on each other.

"And that… is my Song of Thunder.”