What if... your parents were somehow, just somehow found, providing you with a family surname. Would you be able to marry then? Would it be worth having to confront your parents and learn the reason you were alone on a Canterlot doorstep?

Anonymous
In a carriage next to a storefront.
And if you can find them, go right the [omitted] ahead.
You want to know the truth? I can’t let go. I can’t ignore it. I can’t tell myself enough that I’m never going to find them. I’ve spent years talking to contacts, spending money I don’t have, trying to find something, anything that might tell me-…
…
But there’s always that stupid spark in the back of my head. That yearning that it was… justified somehow. That one day they’ll find me and explain everything and they’ll love me and support me and help me get a real job and I won’t have to constantly owe others and…
…
[Sniff]
…
I… I hate it. I hate them…
…

1) The only time you have to use your legal name is in legal capacities. You’re free to tell any random passerby on the street that your name is whatever you want to go by.
Unless they can prove that they’re a member of the guard and are asking for your name on official business, which still falls under legal capacities.
2) Can’t go wrong joining the Illuminati. Just be careful; I’ve heard it’s like Hotel Coltifornia. You can checkout anytime you like, but you can never leave.
3) Like someone lifting you up only to slap you back down.
4) Wouldn’t matter if he did or not… Equestrian society requires that in any marriage involving a pony, both participants must take the surname of the pony. It was put into place when interspecies marriage was legalized in an effort to ensure proper Equestrian societarian integration.
…
It’s… It’s fine, though. Was never all that interested in getting married anyway… I mean, it’s just a formality, right?
…
…
His last name is Arctos.
…
…

I suppose I’m just as qualified to address this as anypony else. I’ve looked into the subject for what should seem like obvious reasons. Either way it’s not a short answer, so it’s after the break.
Keep reading
...Why did you have to cram into a cardboard box in freezing rain?
Because I was on the other side of Canterlot and couldn’t make it back to the castle. Which happened pretty often…
The ones I was crammed with didn’t have a choice, they just had no where to go.
That was a happier memory, though. Huddled together for warmth with friends.
Oh… Um… Well… See…
…
Oh!
One semester in college I studied abnormal psychology.
Then… Uh…
Hmm…
Oh right!
There was a student in one of the classes I’ve substituted in a few times. She had Schizophrenia. Once you’ve seen that, you don’t mistake it ever again.
You could watch her expression and tell when the voices were starting to get to her. Then she’d either laugh, call out a little with some harmless disregarding comments, or start screaming and swearing like I haven’t heard since I was running around the alleyways of Canterlot. And you could never tell which was going to happen.
She got violent a few times, but never struck anyone. Just things like slamming and kicking doors. Eventually she was relocated to a different school in a different Sped program. I don’t know where.
Edit: Sped stands for Special Education.
Repost because I’m not a clever pony.
Or maybe I am drunk. Whatever.
I bet you ponies think you're so better than than us.

Anonymous
Maybe, maybe not.
Seems to me your society has a lot more freedoms than ours. Plus, our taxes are pretty steep and all but necessitate having a job.
See, Equestria isn’t taxed on income like your society. We’re taxed on possession. The more you own, it’s assumed the more you make, and thus the more you owe. If you’re out of work, this will quickly eat away at everything you have left.
Both of our worlds still have intolerance toward race. Only ours also has intolerance towards other sapient species. These aren’t just people that look different or come from different backgrounds, they fundamentally are different. Paws instead of hooves, beaks instead of muzzles.
Both of our worlds have a problem with underage relationships, only ours in spades. Ponies don’t like to talk about it, but there are far too many that think it’s okay for a child and an adult, or two children to be in a romantic relationship. Some even go so far as to think it’s “cute.”
Even a Utopia has it’s share of problems. And all of that is ignoring the situation between us and the griffons.
That’s the general opinion. And to be quite honest, after being tossed around in a giant washing machine for two hours, even if he did fix my broken leg, it’s my opinion as well.
But try to look at this from another perspective. Discord isn’t stupid. If he realized when he was released that failure to abide by mortal rules would result in the reinstatement of his previous punishment, do you really think he would have done what he did? He thought he was invincible!
And exactly what did he do? At its most base level, were his actions any different than Trixie’s or Gilda’s? Or what any given bully does? Do they deserve to be imprisoned in a chunk of rock for over a thousand years?
The only thing that made him a threat worthy of such a punishment were his powers, not his actions. If you actually think about it for more than a few seconds, you might just pity him. He’s just a childish creature with too much power to grow up.
Out of character question: Since this is obviously not the same Equestria as the one from the show, could you lay down some of the big details that separate the world of Ask Lyra from the world of FiM? I think it could be useful for any future askers.

Anonymous
I… What?
I’ve got a few questions like this before and I never know what to do with them. This isn’t some D&D tabletop campaign. This is my life. This is, more or less, how I really act in the world I really live in.
I’m roommates with Bon-Bon; we live in her home. Tootsie, her niece, stays with us Sunday night through Friday morning and lives with her parents on the weekends. Sweetie Belle moved in some time ago, with her parent’s permission of course. My boyfriend is a chemical glue-making bear named Krastos. I call him Boscov.
I spent a lot of my time growing up in the darker side of Canterlot. I had to do a lot of things I’m not proud of to survive. Things are better there than they used to be.
Celestia raises the sun to the east and sets it to the west. Birds fly, fish swim. I don’t know what else to tell you.
This isn’t fantasy. I live in the real world. Sometimes things might seem darker than they should be, but my experiences have left me a little jaded about life. I don’t necessarily take things at face value like everypony else does.
…
…
Meta powers says “It’s realistically gray,” whatever that’s supposed to mean.
However wrong his actions, Discord has no way of atoning for them while caged in rock. And he’s still conscious in there. Can you imagine how horrifying that existence must be?
Princess Celestia has to make some difficult decisions, both in the past and present. You think a utopian society is just built and maintained on sunshine and rainbows?
As for me? Well, if my past actions indicate anything, it’s not my heroism. If anything it’s closer to the opposite direction.
waaaaaaaa, segregation, yeah. Sabba doo Baghdad

Anonymous
I got segregation out of that.
Not a fan, but sometimes it’s necessary. In public school foals are segregated by species at some point to learn about their specific racial differences.
Unicorn about magic.
Pegasus about flying.
Earth ponies about nature, and advanced physical education.
In college, you can take classes on the other subjects as a humanities credit. Kind of weird if you’re a Unicorn or a Pegasus getting a humanities credit for P.E.
You have had sex with Boscov, correct? And how many others have you done it with?

Anonymous
Yes, I’ve had intercourse with Boscov. I don’t really feel like answering that second part.
Most of the time it wasn’t really my decision. It was just part of an agreement that would also involve stealing, all so I wouldn’t be killed or sold into slavery.
Or worse.
Recently I learned about the type of ponies who live in Canterlot. You have gained infinite respect from me for having been surrounded by a bunch of boring, dull, and prude ponies who all probably looked down on you. I would've probably broken down or something, but you didn't.

Anonymous
Stuck-up whistle-blowers… They were just as hazardous as the vile creatures I had to work for.
Bless their little hearts. And I do mean little.
Have I mentioned that I don’t care for the rich?
Lyra, can you tell me more about the fight that broke your first lyre.
I want to know what caused the fight.
Oh and I have a gift for you as a token of friendship
-gives lyra a case for her lyre and picks-
Oh… Cels… That wasn’t even a very big deal.
Far from the more terrifying experiences of my life, that was just a school-yard tussle. Some fillies didn’t appreciate my attitude and took it upon themselves to try and “correct” me.
They beat the crud out of me and during the fight I fell on my saddlebag where my lyre was. That was all there was too it.
Of course, they were also the ones I was trying to get revenge on when I accidentally pranked Twilight with Poison Joak. Never got them back after that prank misfired.
Thank you for the gift! I have a carry case for my lyre already, but I’ve never had one with a place for picks too!