Lyra: I love you. And I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to catch up. But if you’re willing to give me a chance-
Bon-Bon: Y-y-you’re not proposing are you?
Lyra: What?! N-no! I was just asking you to be my girlfriend! [Pause] D… do you… want me to-?
Bon-Bon: Gosh no! We can’t go from best friends/sisterly-whatever to engaged- that’s insane!
Lyra: Y-yeah, I-I kinda thought so!
Bon-Bon: Well, that was my target heart rate for the day! Gosh, I’m shaking!
Lyra: You… um… You never answered.
Bon-Bon: I didn’t. [Pause] “Just keep your eyes on me.”

[Long Pause]

Lyra: You’re waiting for me to say something so you can-
Bon-Bon: “Shut up and dance with me.”
Lyra: Oh~ well if you insist. [Pause] So, uh… what song are we listening to?
Bon-Bon: Hmm… Ahem. “Only yesterday, they told me you were gone. All these normal people, will I find another one?“
Lyra: Hey! You do listen to human music!
Bon-Bon: Well you blare it all through the house, how couldn’t I?
Lyra: Ahem. “And I awoke to fi~nd the burden lifted from your heart and soul. And I~ praise the light. I praise the light.”
Bon-Bon: Little off key but not bad. Um… Ahem. “So stand in the rain. Stand your ground. Stand up when it’s all crashing down.“
Lyra: Your range is ridiculous! How are you so much better at singing than me?
Bon-Bon: Lyra, I was in a four-mare choir.
Lyra: Whaaat? When?
Bon-Bon: Back in Manehattan. For almost five years. Has that never come up?
Lyra: No! [Pause] Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you.
Bon-Bon: Oh? “Stand through the pain, you won’t dro-wn. And one day what’s lost can be- found…“

Bon-Bon: Are you sure you didn’t want to stay, especially with word that everypony is on their way back from the Changeling Kingdom? I’m sure Princess Celestia would have liked to hear your speech much more than an imposter.
Lyra: She knows where we stand. Besides, it’s better if the Elements don’t know about our involvement when we can help it. Plus, I kinda like the idea of Raindrops being celebrated as a big hero that saved all of Equestria.
Bon-Bon: Ha, she certainly deserves it after the courage she displayed.

[Pause]

Bon-Bon: Quite an eventful few days.
Lyra: Yeah. Feels like it was way longer. Ugh…
Bon-Bon: Is your side alright?
Lyra: No worse than Vinyl, probably. Did they get you any?
Bon-Bon: Just a little dusty from when they blew the pillar up.
Lyra: Lucky.

[Pause, Light breeze]

Lyra: B?
B: [Deep breathing]
Lyra: B! Where have you been?! All Tartarus was breaking loose in Ponyville and Canterlot! We needed your help and you were gone!
B: Where…? I… was in the Crystal Empire… FIGHTING A [omitted] VOLTRON DRAGON MADE OF CHANGELINGS! [Deep breathing]

Bon-Bon: Uh… How did that go?
B: Unsatisfactory.

With everypony else gone, you turn to Silver Spoon. She keeps opening and closing her mouth, like she’s struggling to find what to say.

“That was…“ She finally looks up and extends her neck toward you, “Really weird!“ You both draw back from that and she starts to look around. “I-I mean… In a good way?“ Her gaze rests on you and she lifts her hoof, “I know this whole trip was supposed to be Diamond Tiara’s present for me. But it never really felt like that, you know?“ Her eyes wonder again, “What I mean to say is…“ Then they fall back to you, “If you wanted to come to my birthday party, I wouldn’t turn you away or anything.“ She looks down and kicks at the ground with her hoof, “Not like it’s a big deal. It’s, you know, whatever. I mean, you already gave me a present. It’d be silly to give me a present and you weren’t invited.“

She looks up again, this time with her head tilted, “So, I guess I’ll see you there. You know, if you want to come, that is.“ Then she turns and walks away without waiting for an answer. You watch her until she disappears into a side street.

You suddenly feel very tired, and your head starts to pound. You definitely still have that knot on your head, though the swelling has gone down a lot. You release a long sigh, then head home. There’s still plenty of choices left to make, but you think you can manage for now.