Lyra: Hey, Spike.

Spike?: What do you want?

Lyra: Oh Spike, you didn’t forget did you?

Spike?: Forget w-?
Lyra: I mean, that would be so out-of-character and suspicious if you didn’t remember. You look forward to it every week.

Spike?: Uh… No. I’ve just been really busy. Twilight’s been running me all around town.
Lyra: Oh mare. What a slave driver.
Spike?: I know, right? I’m kind of in a hurry so-
Lyra: Fortunately this never takes very long. You’ll be in and out without her ever knowing. Got some good ones for you this week.

Spike?: G-Good ones?

Lyra: Hmm? Oh yeah! Some great memes! Bon-Bon even made us some cupcakes!

Spike?: Oh boy. I look forward to those things.

Lyra: You sure do little buddy. You sure do.

Octavia: Vinyl-… Vinyl if you-… If you could just slow down a tad-! I can’t see a thing when you zoom the vision around like that! … Oh haha. Very funny.

Lyra: It all just looks like a lot of dreamscape nonsense. How does Princess Luna actually go in there?

Octavia: Different spell, different properties, I imagine.

Bon-Bon: Even when she holds it still I can’t make out anything.
Lyra: It’s like watching one of those time-lapse videos, through a telescope, from a foot away. What are we even looking for?
Octavia: Bare in mind I’ve only read about how this works when changelings are involved. Not much opportunity to practice it.

Raindrops: Woah.
Bon-Bon: Everything went dark.
Lyra: Did it break?
Octavia: Changeling dreams. Inky, amorphous blobs that draw in anything healthy and absorb it. They can fool us in the real world, but they can’t hide the darkness in their hearts.

Lyra: So it is changelings. That’s a relief. [Pause] I mean, at least we can fight back without hurting the ones we’re trying to save. Right?
Octavia: I’m not so sure. We’re three against seven. And that’s being generous.
Raindrops: Don’t you mean five against seven?
Octavia: I’m not counting ponies that can’t defend themselves.
Raindrops: That’s… That’s fair.

Bon-Bon: So what do we do? Round up as many ponies as we can and rush them?
Octavia: Ponyville ponies? If this were Cloudsdale or Manehattan perhaps. But Ponyville has about the meekest residents in Equestria.
Lyra: What about Zecora?
Bon-Bon: This is the last time we need somepony to get lost in the Everfree Forest.
Raindrops: So what do we do?

Octavia: I’m afraid I don’t have the answer… The only way S.M.I.L.E. could have been compromised is if the Seeker Network was taken down. And if the changelings got that far… They must have the princesses as well. Which means they have control over the entirety of the EUP. Even CUE… Whatever course of action we take had better work… Because we may be Equestria’s last line of defense…

Octavia: Bonnie.
Bon-Bon: Octavia. She checks out then?

Lyra: Her and Vinyl both.

Bon-Bon: Whatashame.
Octavia: Likewise. Is this all you’ve managed to gather?

Bon-Bon: Of course not. It’d be too suspicious to have everypony together, so we-
Octavia: Sent everypony away, to be prayed upon individually. You no longer have any indication they are or aren’t reliable. Possibly compromised any passcode distributed as well.
Raindrops: Oh no…
Octavia: Still haven’t taken any lessons from the past, Bonnie?
Bon-Bon: Hey! We saw something you didn’t!
Octavia: You acted first. I try to take a more informed approach. We no longer have that option.

Lyra: Stop it! Both of you! Whatever we’re up against; they took Spike! A baby! So unless you can clap your hooves and make it better-
Octavia: No qualms with targeting children… Given their selective approach it sounds like changeling tactics to me.

Bon-Bon: I thought so too, but Lyra brought up mind control as a possibility.

Octavia: I can’t think of anything capable of that on so specific a scale. Targeting some but not others. At least, nothing with a motive. But it is something we can test for. Even changelings have to sleep.

Bon-Bon: Nyx Eye… But that’s a fairly advanced spell. We don’t have time to-
Octavia: I think our DJ friend here can handle it, if she remembers how.

[Pause]

Octavia: Maybe after a quick refresher.

Lyra: Nothing?

Bon-Bon: … I wish… Somepony answered, but it wasn’t who it should have been.

Lyra: Do they know that we-?
Bon-Bon: No. I mean, they might be suspicious but I gave no indication. What about you?
Lyra: B won’t answer no matter what I do. Usually I barely breathe and he’s there.
Bon-Bon: Okay. Not panicking. The Elements of Harmony, and possibly the entirety of Equestria’s security forces, have been compromised. We are the only two we know of that aren’t Changelings-
Lyra: Or worse…

Bon-Bon: What could possibly be worse?
Lyra: They could still be themselves but mind controlled?

Bon-Bon: … Yeah, I guess they could be… Darn. That is a lot worse. Any ideas?
Lyra: Cry?

Bon-Bon: Maybe something you aren’t already doing?
Lyra: Cry harder?
Bon-Bon: Lyra-
Lyra: Bon-Bon I’m really scared!
Bon-Bon: So am I! But if they replaced everypony in Equestria they wouldn’t have left us. This has got to be some kind of stealth insurgency plot; turn Equestria into a puppet state. That means most ponies should still be themselves. We have numbers. We’ve just got to find a way to rally them without being discovered…

Bon-Bon: Lyra, did you notice Fluttershy and Rarity acting strange today?

Lyra: No, but Twilight and Applejack seemed… off somehow. Like, distant maybe?

Bon-Bon: I wonder if its some kind of Harmony crisis.

Lyra: Maybe they’re just stressed. Or, ha! Maybe its Changelings!

Bon-Bon: Hahaha! Yeah, that’ll be the day!

[Pause]

Bon-Bon: Maybe I should contact-?

Lyra: Yeah… Yeah you do that.

Lyra: That griffin was incredible! I bet if she was pitching too they’d have had to enact mercy rules!

Bon-Bon: She was something else, alright! I’m glad Golden Harvest invited us.

Lyra: I’m glad she invited you to join her Buckball team! Raindrops and I might be trash, but you really do deserve that spot.

Bon-Bon: I’m not sure how often I’ll be needed, but I’ll stay in practice for sure. [Pause] And I’m proud of you, Lyra.

Lyra: Me?

Bon-Bon: That score you made against GH’s team. I didn’t want it to come off the wrong way; like I wouldn’t have been proud if you hadn’t caught any goals. But that you worked so hard and improved so much. You tried Lyra. I’m so proud of you for trying.

Lyra: I only give up on something if I feel it’s a waste. But since it was to help you, I knew it wasn’t.

Bon-Bon: Aww! Lyra, that’s so- Wait a minute. You gave up on cooking.

Lyra: Ah… Uh….

Bon-Bon: Cooking is not a waste, Lyra!
Lyra: Gee, is the sun setting already? I still have a few errands I need to run!
Bon-Bon: Cooking is an art form! A discipline! It’s an essential life skill!
Lyra: I’ll catch you later, Bon-Bon! Don’t wait up!
Bon-Bon: Lyra! LYRA! I CAN RUN FASTER THAN YOU!

Lyra: Are you alright, Bon-Bon? What’s wrong?

Bon-Bon: Minuette is stuck in Canterlot, some issue with the trains. Vinyl can’t leave Manehatten. And while we have Raindrops here to fill in for Blossomforth after she sprained her wing- we have no unicorn!

Golden Harvest: Oh no! I’m so sorry, Bon-Bon! Should we reschedule again?

Bon-Bon: No… I’ve already held your team up. I don’t want to make you three have to keep pushing matches back because of me.

Golden Harvest: What if we let you borrow a player?

Bon-Bon: It wouldn’t be the same… Besides, we practiced plays and maneuvers-
Golden Harvest: I understand, Bon-Bon.

Lyra: [Sigh] I’ll do it.

Bon-Bon: I appreciate that, Lyra, but-
Lyra: I know the game, I know the team’s strategies. I know I’m terrible and I know there’s no way we’ll win. But I also know you love playing this game. And the only reason I ever agreed to play is because I saw how excited you were. I wanted to help you do what you love. Now, would you rather try as hard as you can and still lose or lose by default?

Bon-Bon: You know what, GH? We’ll at least give your team some real practice before you take this show on the road!

Golden Harvest: I’ll let the girls know, but we won’t go easy on you!

Bon-Bon: You’d better not! [Pause] Thanks, Lyra.

Lyra: Of course. Ready to lose, Raindrops?
Raindrops: Heehee! Wouldn’t be the first time, won’t be the last!

Bon-Bon: That was good practice! I feel great!
Lyra: Uh huh…

Bon-Bon: I feel prepared for my first game tomorrow!
Lyra: Good for you…

Bon-Bon: Speaking of which… you’re… off the team.

Lyra: … Fine…

Bon-Bon: I mean, you never wanted to play anyway, right?

Lyra: Not want to play sports? Me? Whatever gave you that idea? I love getting hit in the face with a dodgeball, tripping over a basket and falling in the mud every fifteen minutes. Nevermind all the sighing and shaking heads everypony else-
Bon-Bon: Alright, I get it. Sorry I even asked you to play.

Lyra: … So, who is replacing me?

Bon-Bon: Minuette.
Lyra: Minuette? She barely had time to practice. What happened to Pon3?

Bon-Bon: Her schedule is just too unstable. One minute she’s fine and the next she’s booked for a week. She’s fine as a reserve, but we can’t depend on her.

Lyra: So you, Blossomforth, and Minuette vs. Golden Harvest, Amethyst Star, and…?
Bon-Bon: Muffins, unfortunately. Turns out she’s a natural when she’s not hamstringed as an earth pony. Bad call on my part for letting her go.

Lyra: Well good luck to you. I’m gonna go pass out on the floor, because I’m too dirty to climb into bed.

Bon-Bon: Lyra! Blossomforth is all over you! Move!

Lyra: [Panting] Blossomforth… Can SEE DEEZ NUTS!

Blossomforth: Ugh! Rude!
Bon-Bon: Blossomforth can’t see anything if she’s standing on them. Come on! It doesn’t matter how much I have the ball if you give me nothing to work with!

Raindrops: I think you’re doing great, Lyra!

Lyra: … Thanks, Raindrops.

Octavia: Good evening, Vinyl. You look well-rested, which I would consider to be odd given we stand upon a sports field. I take it practice is a little one-sided?

Lyra: H-hey Octavia!

Octavia: Good evening, Lyra. Bonnie.
Bon-Bon: Octavia.

Octavia: Now Vinyl, you’ll recall that patron in Manehattan that canceled on you? … Well, they uncanceled. I came to see you as a formality, thinking you’d be too exhausted to perform. However-

Bon-Bon: It’s alright, Vinyl, you go ahead. I don’t think you’ll be getting much practice like this anyway. You and Raindrops can go too, Muffins. And thanks for filling in for our earth pony today!

Muffins: Sure! Happy to help! Although I’m not really sure I did anything…?

Bon-Bon: We’ll keep practicing, if you’re up to it Blossomforth.

Blossomforth: You bet!

Raindrops: I’ll just stick around and cheer everypony on then! Hehe, I don’t really have anything else to do.

Bon-Bon: Alright, Lyra. Get up.

Lyra: … Like I haven’t got embarrassed enough today…

Lyra: That as pretty fun! And Snails was amazing! He looked like a professional out there!

Bon-Bon: He certainly did. I had no idea he was so gifted.

Lyra: I wonder if that game will become more popular.

Bon-Bon: Maybe. Buckball looks like a fun game, but…

Lyra: But what?

Bon-Bon: Why were the unicorns just standing there? It made it far too easy for the pegasus to block. Appleloosa’s pegasus was terrible. The only reason she blocked as many shots as she did was through physical presence. That’s not very athletic.

Lyra: It was probably in the rules. A moving goalpost is already pretty intense.

Bon-Bon: I wonder if I couldn’t change a few rules to make it better…

Lyra: Why does that sound sinister?

Lyra: Bon-Bon! Bonnie!

Bon-Bon: What? What’s wrong?

Lyra: Nothing! Have you heard about this Buckball thing?

Bon-Bon: Oh. Yeah.

Lyra: So you’re not interested?

Bon-Bon: It sounded alright, but I only heard about it in passing.

Lyra: The match is taking place in Appleloosa. They’re shuttling fans over for free!

Bon-Bon: Free? Well alright Buckball! Let’s go Team Ponyville!

Lyra: Yeah! Daycation! Woo!

Bon-Bon: I have made a terrible mistake…

Lyra: Haha! Wow! Is that off-season cider?! Non-alcoholic, I assume.

Bon-Bon: Well, of course. What do you take me for?

Lyra: Clearly “a hypocrite” would be asking too much. How about, “a pony“?

Bon-Bon: Why in Equestria did I hire Twist? I’ve never had an employee before! What do I do if she messes up?! I could never discipline her, let alone fire her! She’s just a filly, and she’s my friend! I taught her for a year! She looked up to me! It would crush her!

Lyra: Did she do anything wrong today?
Bon-Bon: Yes! Well, no. I don’t know!

Lyra: … Should I as-?
Bon-Bon: I returned to the shop to show Twist how to close and went into the back. I noticed a container of cinnamon misplaced. I asked Twist about it and she said her hooves were full carrying the cinnamon rock candy she made.

Lyra: … This is over something stupid, isn’t it?
Bon-Bon: She’s not supposed to be cooking without me!
Lyra: Alright alright! Did you tell her that?

Bon-Bon: I was about to… But she said she was replacing the supply that got bought out, just like I’d do it. And I tasted it, and it was just like I make it. So… So I don’t know!

Lyra: Not used to trusting somepony else, are you?

Bon-Bon: As long as I do it I know it’s done right.

Lyra: This will be a great learning experience for you then! Or the straw that breaks the pony’s back. One of the two, I’m sure.

Bon-Bon: So, that’s the offer… What do you think?

Twist: I think that’th a pretty big deal…

Bon-Bon: Yes… But…?

Twist: Ah-ah! Butt’th are for thitting, Mth. Bon-Bon. And I’d be happy to acthept!

Bon-Bon: You are?! That’s great! I mean, for you. I mean, thank you!

Twist: Of courthe! How could I thay no?

Bon-Bon: Now you understand this is serious business. You can’t just leave for no reason or not show up-
Twist: Of courthe, Mth. Bon-Bon.

Bon-Bon: I’m going to be scheduling things with your presence in mind-
Twist: Of courthe, Mth. Bon-Bon.

Bon-Bon: If you get sick or- heavens forbid- hurt, you may have to come in anyway until I can relieve you. U-unless it’s serious-!
Twist: Of courthe, Mth. Bon-Bon.

Bon-Bon: And we’re still going to have to figure out something once school starts back up-
Twist: Oh Mth. Bon-Bon! Of courthe!

Bon-Bon: Fantastic! Can you start tomorrow?

Twist: I had planned to thtop by anyway! I’ll be here with bellth on!

Bon-Bon: Oh Twist, you’re the best! … But don’t let it go to your head.

Twist: Yeth, Mth. Bon-Bon.

No! It’s okay. I mean, I wouldn’t get sad if I didn’t still care for him. I don’t want to forget about him… and I don’t want ponies to act like he didn’t happen.

It didn’t work out. I know we both tried, but we grew apart. There was no big fight and we didn’t split up on unfavorable terms. I mean, we hardly ever fought at all. There were a few times, and I won’t pretend they were small or insignificant. But we got through those.

We both thought it was meant to be, but… it just couldn’t stand up to time…

Life caught up to the both of us and… we were just so busy… Sometimes we didn’t talk for days or weeks. Then I turned around and… a whole year had passed…

[Sniff] … Part of me wishes we could have got married. But part of me is glad we didn’t. Not glad… terrified that if we had, this still would have happened. And things between us would have ended much worse. At least this way I can always love him and look back fondly on the time we shared.

… I’ve never mentioned this before… but shortly after we broke up, they changed the laws on interspecies marriage… Krastos and I… We could have… it just wasn’t meant to be…