“Well,” Blossomforth interrupts, “If you don’t mind, we won’t be waiting for her to get here. You two,” She points to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, “Through the portal, now. And you’d better not try to run off again while I find Spike. Bon-Bon already told me who your parents are.“
With heads held low, the pair walk toward the statue. But before they pass, they both turn toward you. “See you on the other side, Liza.“ Diamond Tiara says. Silver Spoon just waves. Then they both step through the statue and vanish.
Blossomforth approaches the statue after them, “When I get home I’m taking a nice long bath. And I might not get out until Winter Wrap-Up.“ Bon-Bon muffles a laugh and Blossomforth too vanishes through the statue.
Only you and Aunt Bon-Bon remain. She puts her arm around you and pulls you in close, “Well, should we wait for Lyra? How long did she say she’d be?“
“Bon-Bon?“
You and Bon-Bon spin around to find Lyra standing behind you. But it’s not the Lyra you were expecting.
“… Ran around all day like a crazy pony!“ Blossomforth points at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon in turn, “All I asked of you was to say put but no~! You wondered unsupervised in a strange world were you could have been hurt… or worse! And what was I supposed to do, huh? Once the students starting pouring in I had to escape and leave poor Liza behind! What if she was hurt more than I thought?!”
Blossomforth turns her head, sees you, and rushes over. As she walks away, you see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon roll their eyes at her.
“There you are! Are you alright?“ You nod and tell her that your head still hurts a little, but otherwise you feel fine. She looks relieved. This has probably been very stressful for her. You thank her for her help and give her a hug. She seems confused at first, but eventually hugs you back. Then you both let go and return to the statue.
Aunt Bon-Bon claps to draw your attention, “So, what did Lyra say?“ You tell her that she’s coming home, but skip everything else. Bon-Bon closes her eyes and sighs slightly, “I’m glad to hear that.“
After one last glance around town, you head back to the bus stop and wait for the bus. When it arrives the driver, remembering who you are, is worried at first. However, once you show him the green note he seems pleased and hands you two coins in return. You take your seat against the window and watch the world speed by again. It’s a shame you can’t see such a view more often.
Once the bus passes by the school you get ready to get off at your stop. You wave goodbye to the driver on your way out, who returns the gesture with a smile. While you walk back to the school you reflect upon your trip here. The wound on your head still hurts a little. You wonder if it will still be there when you get home.
In front of the statue you find Blossomforth scolding Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Aunt Bon-Bon is there too, but seems to be staying out of it. She sees you approaching and waves. Evidently she was already told you were coming. As you get near, you can hear Blossomforth.
You slide out of your chair and hug Lyra, who immediately squeezes you back.
“You’re a good kid, Liza. Just… stay out of trouble, alright?“
You nod and Lyra lets go. She wipes her eye and opens her laptop back up, “You should go ahead back to the statue. I need to finish up here, but I’ll be along shortly.“ She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a green piece of paper, “You can use this like money. Did you ride the bus? You can see the bus stop from here.“ You nod and Lyra smiles, then looks out the window, “Looks like your friends are gone. You can either chase after them, possibly get lost in the process, or trust that they’ll get back on their own. I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.“
Lyra turns her body away from you and back to the laptop without another word. You thank her and she smiles again, then you head back outside. She was right, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are nowhere to be found.
You fight to resist it, but you start to cry a little. You don’t understand why Lyra is acting so mean. She’s probably done worse than you did. But maybe that’s the point. She wants to scare you into keeping it that way? You wipe your face and ask one last question: What information is she looking for?
Lyra turns away and stares out the window. Then down at her laptop, which she closes. Then back to you, seemingly judging whether you deserve an answer or not. When she finishes, she looks up. Evidently, you passed.
“For a long time now, ponies have been… expecting something from me.“ She starts to poke at the fork beside her. “I’m supposed to… do something, but I don’t know what. Everypony seems to connect me with humans, and I reject it, but maybe I shouldn’t. Maybe that’s somehow related to the thing I’m supposed to do.
Suppose my theory about humans and ponies is true. Suppose we do live in different time periods on the same world. If they came first, suppose there was a way to stop… whatever ultimately happens to them. What if I could find the answer and give it to them?
What if it’s the other way around? What if I could stop us from fading away? If it’s possible- if the answer can exist- if it can even be found… If it’s sensational, obvious, easily discovered, so be it. But if searching the fringe is the only way… Wouldn’t you say we deserve that chance? Surely they don’t deserve to disappear either, if it can be avoided.
I wanted this to be the human world. I wanted proof that we live on different planes of existence. That neither of our fates are sealed. But if I can’t disprove it… I can’t risk being right. I know I’m grasping at straws here, but… Ponies are expecting something from me.
But nopony will believe me- nopony will trust me. Everypony is concerned about something else. They all want me to just… click my hooves together and fix a problem. But maybe the answer isn’t so direct. Maybe my answer isn’t the answer they need.“
After she finishes, Lyra becomes quiet. You aren’t really sure what to say.
That’s a lot to ask. You start listing each one with “how she broke in” and “why she didn’t leave a note”, but you stop. Lyra leans forward and rests her head on her crossed arms. Uh oh. She’s smiling, but it’s a mean smile. The kind you see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon do a lot.
“You don’t think very highly of me, do you Liza?“
You bite your tongue.
“The only reason you’re sitting in front of me right now is because I allowed it. If I wanted to vanish off the face of Equestria, I would have. Even if you knew I was in this world- if I hopped a train to the next town over, you’d never find me before I moved again. The only reason Bon-Bon knew I was here was because I left a fairly obvious hint on my tumblr, in case I ran into trouble. And whether you realize it or not, all you did was follow her. The only thing I didn’t count on was exactly how fast Bon-Bon would come looking for me. Or that she’d leave you alone to follow her. I expected her to be more responsible than that.“
That was clearly the wrong question to ask. You want to argue about Bon-Bon, but Lyra lifts her head up and the smile vanishes. Replaced with something much more stern.
“As for how I broke in, I’m an ex-criminal. I practically waltzed through the front door singing our national anthem. Trivial is an understatement. The real question is how you tricked two fillies and conned an adult into helping you get here. I did what I did because those are the skills I have. The skills I grew up with. I expected better from you. I live with my decisions. They haunt me in my sleep. Are you proud of yours?“
You sink into your seat and look away. Maybe you didn’t always make the best choice. You didn’t mean to hurt anypony. You just… You were only trying to help.
She left without warning. She was gone for days. Why?
Lyra turns her laptop around to face you. On the screen are a lot of words. They look like pages of a book.
“Information. The human internet has all this information blocked behind paywalls- inaccessible to Equestrians. Historical details, reports, science journals, textbooks. I knew if I could get here, get some money, I could start to get ahold of it.
I thought this was the human world I’ve been communicating with all these years. Disappointingly, turns out it’s not. No Middle Eastern conflict. Less environmental destruction. And to top it all off, once Twilight got here, magic.
But there are similarities. My current theory is that this is some kind of amalgamation- a combination- of both our worlds. It’s been difficult trying to piece together which side influenced what. But when I can, I can start to get a better picture of human earth- beyond the internet.“
Is she coming back? Is this just… what she wants to do now?
Lyra pulls the laptop back, “Liza… Of course I’m coming back. In fact, I was getting ready to come home- I have work tonight! I wouldn’t just leave.“
You…You came all this way and she was about to come home anyway? You sink in your seat. Well, at least you found Bon-Bon.
Something seems missing, though. Is there anything else you should ask?
“I’ll be honest, I was expecting Bon-Bon.“
You look up, but Lyra is still staring at the computer. Did she say that?
“She’d never let me go on my own, but she couldn’t trust that I’d come back either.“ She finally looks up from the monitor and motions to the seat across from her. “Have a seat. I’m sure you’re hungry.“ Lyra slides a paper bowl of… they look like slices of potato. “It’s not hay fries, but they’re pretty good.“
You pick one up and take a bite. A strong salt flavor overwhelms your senses. It’s sooo good! And you didn’t realize how hungry you were either. You shovel one after another into your mouth.
“Looks like you hit your head on entry.“ You look up from your salted potatoes and Lyra lifts her hair off of her forehead, revealing a bandage like yours. “Me too. At first I thought I broke my horn off. Pretty scary stuff.“ You pause, then go back to eating. “Your friends were being a little cryptic. I’m figuring they came with you, but I’m not sure why. Who else? Where’s Bon-Bon?“
You tell Lyra that Bon-Bon was already here and who you came with.
“Blossomforth? Sounds familiar. Pegasus, I think.” She taps her chin in thought, the continues, “So Bon-Bon was already here? I haven’t exactly been hiding. Must have just missed each other. I take it Twilight knows I sneaked in and used her portal by now, then.“
As far as you know, Spike is the only one on the outside that knows about this. You tell her that.
“Spike isn’t exactly a well of fortitude, but it’s nice that he’d try to keep it secret. Not sure if he’s doing it for me or not.“
It feels strange talking to Lyra so casually. You two hardly ever speak. She’s very mysterious. It’s a little intimidating. You have lots of questions, but you know you’ve only so much time. What should you ask about?
You enter the cafe and pause. Diamond Tiara pats you on the back, “We’ll leave you two alone.“ Then she and Silver Spoon step outside.
That is a lot less than you thought. Something worth so little must be tiny, though. Like a grain of sand.
Ask her something she’d know…
Your face turns flush again. Maybe save that as a last resort. You don’t want her to get upset.
Step-by-step, you slowly approach. You expect her to look up, but she’s so busy with her laptop that she doesn’t even notice you. Before you know it, you’re standing right next to her.
Your mouth dries up and your heart beats fast. If it’s not her- then what will you do? You don’t want Aunt Bon-Bon to get in trouble. Something only an Equestrian would know. The EUP? Hearth’s Warming? Nightmare Night? Summer Sun Celebration? You can think of subjects, but not content. What if this is the right Lyra and she doesn’t understand? What if you accidentally bring back the wrong Lyra?
You stare in awe at the world passing you by at surreal speeds, between stops. You’re so invested that when Silver Spoon nudges your shoulder, you gasp in shock!
“Chill out! We get off at the next stop.“
Diamond Tiara leans forward so you can see her, “We found her inside of some kind of cafe less than an hour ago. We talked to her and, unless she lied, she should still be there.“
You nod that you understand. But, even if what they say is true, you have no idea if she really will be there.
The bus screeches to a stop one last time and the three of you get up and head to the exit. The driver eyes Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who both completely ignore him, then turns to you, “If you plan to use the bus again, try to find some change.“
You don’t know what that means. You nod anyway and step off of the bus. It takes a moment of looking around before you spot Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon already heading down the sidewalk. You walk quickly to catch up.
Diamond Tiara points to the next building ahead, “It’s that one right there, with the green and white awning. She’s sitting by the window.“
You look through the windows as you pass and spot a girl with the same minty green and white hair that you saw at the school. It’s definitely a Lyra. Now it’s time to find out if it’s your Lyra.
The bus door opens and the three of you climb aboard. Up ahead, you hear the bus driver talking to Diamond Tiara.
“You two again?“ He sounds annoyed, “I hope you know I left a message at your school’s office. They’ll be telling your parents about you skipping school like this.“
“And when my daddy finds out you’ve been harassing us, he’ll make sure you’re out of a job. Now, drive this hunk-of-junk like a good boy and I might forget this insult.“
The driver mutters something under his breath and the two bullies head back and find a seat. Feeling uneasy, you climb up to the driver and he stares you down, “Come on, ma’am. Pass or fare.“
Diamond Tiara stands up in her seat, “She’s a student like us! Just let her through!“
The driver tilts his head toward Diamond Tiara, then back toward you, “I don’t recognize you. I either need to see a bus pass or you have to pay the fifty cent fare.“
Fifty cents?! If cents and bits are interchangeable here like they are in Equestria, that’s an astronomical sum! You ask if you can trade something instead.
He drops his head into his hand and sighs, “I don’t get paid enough for this…“
You search through your bag and, after pulling aside your bloodied cloths, find that all you really have left are a few bottles of water and a wash cloth.
He reaches his hand out, “Fine. I’ll take the water. Just go sit down, please.“
You hand over the water bottles and sit down across from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. You hear the metallic click of the door locking and the bus begins to move.
Aunt Bon-Bon said she trusted you. That means she trusts you to make the right decision. And right now, the right decision is to find Lyra. You nod to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon in acceptance.
Diamond Tiara leans forward, hands on her hips, “Finished hiding behind the coattails of whatever adult you can find? Good.” She turns and begins walking toward the street, “That’s the filly I took a risk on.“
Silver Spoon doesn’t seem quite so eager to accept you, but seems happy to move on regardless.
The pair lead you along the sidewalk. You watch with fascination as automated carriages wiz by at speeds far faster than any vehicle you’ve ever seen! Well, any ground vehicle anyway. Eventually they lead you to a sign beside a covered bench; a bus stop.
“If you think Manehattan is wild, you haven’t see anything yet.“ Diamond Tiara warns.
“There are cars, everywhere!“ Silver Spoon insists. ”That’s what they call those horseless carriages.“
“And the noise!“
“And the zoo! The zoo was amazing! They had these huge ponies with these long necks.“ Silver Spoon stretches her arms up, “Like, super long!“
Diamond Tiara covers her mouth and laughs to herself as a large “car” stops next to the bus stop.
“Leaving already?“ You hear a familiar voice taunt.
“Just pitiful.“ Another voice adds.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon round either side of the statue, arms crossed, with smug, judgmental glares pointed at you.
“Have you even seen anything other than this boring old school?“ Diamond Tiara asks with a flick of her wrist.
Silver Spoon spreads her arms out and slowly spins in a circle, “This world is amazing! And you’d throw away this opportunity, just like that?“ She crosses her arms again and shakes her head at you.
You tell them you found who you came here for. Now you just want to go home.
“Did you?“ Diamond Tiara turns her head and looks at you from one eye. “Did you really?“
Silver Spoon glances toward Diamond Tiara, “Didn’t she come here looking for two ponies?“
“Did you think that too?” Diamond Tiara begins to circle around behind you, “I wasn’t going to say anything, but that’s what I thought as well.“
Silver Spoon laughs, but somehow it doesn’t seem as mean-spirited as normal.
“Quitting is for commoners, Little Liza. It doesn’t suit you. And it doesn’t reflect well on your traveling partners either.“
“Especially after they went through so much trouble-”
“Sneaking away from that stick-in-the-mud you dragged along-”
“Hiking into town.“
“Finding Lyra all on our own.“
Your eyes widen and they both smile. “Oh, so you do remember?“ Diamond Tiara stops next to Silver Spoon and puts her arm on her shoulder, “Well? We can take you to her. It’s not far.“
You promised Bon-Bon, but…
You kneel down and wrap your arms around Aunt Bon-Bon. You don’t fully understand what’s happening here, but it hurts you to see her in so much pain. You tell her it’s okay and give her time to calm down.
After she stops crying you both stand back up and talk about what to do next. Bon-Bon asks you about the ponies you came here with and, after describing her, says she’s seen Blossomforth. She hasn’t seen the Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon you came with, but says not to worry.
“I’ll find everypony you came here with one at a time if I have to. But Liza…“ She puts her hand on your cheek, “This world is a lot more dangerous than ours. And you’ve already gotten hurt once.” She reaches out to the statue and puts her hand into it. You see an image of her hand turned back into a hoof before she pulls it back out. “I want you to go home. Tell Princess Twilight. I’ll suffer whatever punishment I’m due.“
You argue with her. Lyra was the one that went through first. She should be the one that’s punished when everypony gets back!
Bon-Bon looks away, “… I don’t think Lyra is coming back… But don’t worry. She’ll be okay. I promise. For now, I’d feel a lot better if you went home. Will you trust me?“ You nod instinctively. “Then I’ll trust you to go back on your own. Stay safe, and I’ll see you soon.“
Aunt Bon-Bon gives you a tight hug, turns around and races off back toward the school. You watch her until she disappears from view. Then you turn toward the statue and stare. Your hand reaches out toward the statue, and…
The two of you reach the statue in front of the school as you get to the part where you found Bon-Bon and Lyra. You weren’t really paying attention to her while you were talking. You take another good look at Aunt Bon-Bon’s face. She… looks like she’s in so much pain. Her face is red and twisted. You ask her if she’s alright. She looks over at you and smiles through the pain. Then drops to her knees and puts her hands on your shoulders.
“I’m… so sorry, Liza.“ She sobs and shakes her head. “I never… I only meant to come here, find Lyra, and bring her back. But…” She swallows. “At first I was angry. Then confused. Then…“ Bon-Bon’s eyes glaze over and she stares out into the distance, “She’s just like her. She’s funny. And sweet. And smart. And she cares… so much.“ Bon-Bon looks deep into your eyes, like she’s trying to see if you understand. “It was like a dream,“ she whispers. “Here… It was everything I ever wanted. It was like a dream… and I didn’t want to wake up.“ Her eyes go wide and she covers her mouth, like she said something she didn’t mean to. She breaks eye contact and sobs quietly into her hand.