The group slows to a halt on the edge of town, panting after their run.
“I can’t believe we pulled that off without Princess Twilight finding out!“ Blossomforth sighs, “I’m going to go home and try to forget any of this everhappened!“ Then she stretches her wings wide and takes to the skies.
“Well, there’s still plenty of time left in the day. “ Bon-Bon shields her eyes and glances up towards the sun. It’s still resting high in the sky. “Guess I’ll head into the shop. See if I can’t get some revenue coming in.“ She puts a hoof on Lyra’s shoulder, “We’ll talk at length about this later. But for now, how about I trust you to never do this again.“ Lyra lifts her hoof and puts it on Bon-Bon’s, “That sounds fair. And I’m sorry.“ “We’ll see.“ Then Bon-Bon walks off into town, disappearing in the crowd.
“I have a lot to look through.” Lyra taps the saddlebag on her back, “And I have to get ready for work tonight. And somewhere in there I gotta get some real sleep.“ Lyra waves to you and walks backwards, “Catch you back at the house, Liza. Good thing there was no school today or you fillies would be swimming in trouble, huh?” Then she turns to round a corner and slips out of view.
“Hmm. It was a far cry from what we were promised,“ Diamond Tiara yawns, “But I guess you’re in the clear.“ She smirks, “I’ll bet our adventure was loads better than yours, though. Maybe we’ll tell you about it sometime. You know, if we feel like it.“ Diamond Tiara turns her back to you, “For now, I have a party I’ll be attending and I need some beauty rest.“ She turns her head back toward you, “But you probably wouldn’t know anything about that.“ Then she gives a coy smile and trots away.
“Alright! You did it!“ Spike cheers! “Owlowiscious, the book!“ The owl gives a soft, “Who?“ Then flies up to the top of the large machine and picks up the book with its talons. Lyra backs away from the machine and its quiet hum and lights slowly fade. The bird drops the book into
Spike’s waiting claws, then flies over to the cover on the ground and
starts to fumble with it.
Lyra drops to all four legs and approaches the little purple dragon, “Spike, I-“ Spike puts the book under his arm and holds his other claw up to stop Lyra, “You can explain later. For now-” Spike jumps and points to the door, “Everypony needs to get out! Twilight’ll be back any second now! Rear stairwell and out the window! Go go go!“
Everypony breaks into a run and, lead by Blossomforth, snakes their way to and down the stairs. Once there they each jump out the nearest window, one at a time. Lyra leads the group outside, hugging the wall as they head toward the front of the castle. She then gives a signal to go, “Twilight just went inside! Move!“
Then the group makes their final sprint back toward town.
You feel like you’re falling, and can see bright lights pass before your closed eyes. You try your best to brace for impact, but you don’t know which way is up! You start to feel sick when suddenly the lights disappear and fresh air impacts your face. Then, something soft catches you and you open your eyes.
“Gotcha.” You find yourself on Blossomforth’s back, who has just landed. You roll off and stumble for a dizzy moment. Once you get steady, you take a look at your hand, which has turned back into a hoof. Looks like you made it!
You look around the room. Blossomforth is next to you, looking like she’s ready to dive and catch you if you lose your balance. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are beside one another. Bon-Bon is off to one side; there’s an owl perched on a box near her. And Spike is in the middle.
Spike claps, “Alright! That just leaves Lyra left, right? She’s still coming, isn’t she?“
The portal starts to flash and Blossomforth pulls you out of the way with one of her wings. Then she steps in front of you and bends her knees, ready to fly into action. Literally. The mirror glows and Lyra slowly walks out, standing on her hindlegs.
“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 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…
The wrong Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon? Is that a thing that can happen here? No one said that was a thing that can happen here. They were wearing the same clothes. Looking back maybe they were a bit… cleaner than you remember. But who knows how long you were asleep and what they could have done in that time. They work fast.
You haven’t seen Blossomforth again, yet. No one you’ve asked even recognizes the name.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon race down the hall on their hindlegs while you’re helped along in the opposite direction on yours. When you get a chance, you need to try walking on your own. You haven’t taken a single step by yourself since you got here.
As Blossomforth said before, there are posters all along the walls. There’s no ponies, or griffins, or cattle, or donkeys; they’re all the same thing. The thing you are. They’re all wearing clothes and standing or sitting in poses that look a little too happy for whatever the setting of the picture is.
“So what grade are you in?“ The boy suddenly asks. Distracted by the posters, you answer “third” without thinking. “Third year? You must be home-schooled.“ The girl rolls her eyes, “I think she meant third year of junior high.“
How old do they think you are? You can’t help but ask.
“Hmm…” The girl looks you in the eye when she answers, “Fourteen?“ The boy nods, “Yeah. Fourteen/fifteen.“
Holy crap they think you’re almost twice as old are you are! You do some math in your head as fast as you can. Fourteen to fifteen would put you in either eighth or ninth grade. That means you could pass off as a freshman! You can’t resist daydreaming for a moment about all the cool stuff you could do if you were that old.
The boy kneels down close to you, “I think… Maybe you hit your head a little harder when you tripped than you thought. Maybe you’ve seen those two before and just though you knew them?“
He pauses to check your reaction. You don’t know what to say. Looking at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon… If they are just acting like they don’t know you, it’s an award-winning performance.
“I think we need to take you to the nurse right now. Is there anyone else you might know? Anyone you could call?“
You agree to go see the nurse and mention Bon-Bon and Lyra. While the boy helps you to your feet, the girl asks how you know them. At this point if what you say isn’t true they’ll just think you’re nuts. You tell her that Bon-Bon is your aunt and her eyes go wide.
“Bon-Bon’s mentioned a niece before!“ She clasp her hands together and points to you, “Tootsie, right?“ Your expression must have given away your excitement because she smiles, “We’ll get you to the nurse and get this sorted out. Don’t you worry!“ “Can we go then?“ Diamond Tiara asks, pointing to the door, “We’re gonna to be late for class.“ The girl cringes, “Shoot! Class! Right! You two hurry along!“ She looks back to you again and helps the boy shoulder your weight while the three of you walk together, “We’ll get you to the clinic anyway. The nurse will handle the rest. She’s nice! You’ll like her!“
You don’t have much time to think about that at the moment. The girl from before returns with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon! You somehow manage to be happy to see them and greet them warmly, but they only look at you in confusion.
“This is her?“ Diamond Tiara questions and they both look at each other. “I-I’ve never seen her before.“
You’re completely devastated, though it’s hard to place why. You probably should have seen this coming. Of course they’re going to act like they don’t know you. They’re them and you’re you. Jerks.
“Is she alright, though? Is there something we can do to help?“ Silver Spoon looks sincere when she asks. They both do. At least they really do care about you. Or can at least fake it. You ask if they’ve seen or “know of” a Blossomforth, but they only stare at one another and shrug in response.
Everyone present looks around at one another, avoiding eye contact with you. No one seems to know what to say. You catch a glance from Silver Spoon and it looks… strange. Maybe they really don’t know who you are. What if they lost their memory?
You spend the next few minutes in the other bathroom with Blossomforth cleaning up, drying off, and changing. You get a look at your face in the mirror. It looks so foreign. The bandage above your temple doesn’t look very good either.
If there is, you didn’t notice. Things appeared to be more obvious and in the wrong place, but nothing compares to basically having your knees bend backwards. And these huge feet…
Fur. Your coat. These tiny little hairs… No wonder you’re so cold, even when dried off.
When you both walk out of
the bathroom you’re wearing a dark blue jumpsuit, kinda like a
parachuter, with a lighter horseshoe and a gold “C” stitched into the
chest. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are waiting by the table. You notice the window you came in from is closed now.
“I think it’s safe to say at this point that we’re not going to be getting any searching done tonight.“ Blossomforth pulls out some blankets from a bag she brought back with her, and a book. “Try to find a place in here to get some sleep.” “There’s some sofas in that corner!“ Diamond Tiara points behind a bookshelf. “Good. I’m going to see if this book can help me figure out what, where, or even who we are.“
You follow Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon to a set of chairs and sofas arranged in a circle. You pick the one against the wall and lay your head down. You hear Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon whisper for a moment, but it doesn’t last long before you drift away into a dream.
