1) Would you believe there are ponies who have memorized that bit of sentence vomit?

Incidentally I own Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, but I only ever did the section on the ship and the VR missions. I already knew how most of the story went and I really didn’t care.

2) Tootsie: What’s a flask?

Lyra: It’s… uhm… One of those little glass science-things, right?

Bon-Bon: It’s just a container for holding liquid.

3) Well, I guess I celebrated by starting to play The Secret World. More of a coincidence than celebration, though.

4) Okay. That would have deflated by now, right?

5) Well, I don’t really like Silver. At all.

What about ShadowxEspio?

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.

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 ever happened!“ 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.

“I was going to come back, you know.“

You turn around and find Lyra walking past the statue toward where Bon-Bon is standing. You want to stop her, to tell her to leave Aunt Bon-Bon alone, but Bon-Bon turns around with her arms crossed and a stoic expression. The kind she normally has when she’s upset with Lyra. You wouldn’t be able to tell she cried at all, if you hadn’t already seen it.

“You think I knew.“
Lyra spreads her arms out, “I wouldn’t just leave.“
Bon-Bon, arms still crossed, starts to walk toward the statue, “And why wouldn’t you? You’re a free spirit, aren’t you? That’s why you didn’t tell me anything.“ She passes by Lyra and turns her head to say, “That’s why you never tell me anything.“
Lyra yells back at Bon-Bon, “I don’t tell you anything because you can’t ever trust me!“
Bon-Bon pauses in front of the statue for a moment, then turns her head toward you, “Come on, Liza.“ Then she passes through the statue and vanishes.

You and Lyra both stand next to each other in front of the statue.
Lyra pats you on the shoulder, “Go ahead, Liza. Unless you think I won’t follow.“

You take a deep breath, close your eyes and, slowly this time, pass through the portal.

Aunt Bon-Bon hugs the other Lyra, “I’ll be back before you know it. And when I get back… I’ll tell you all about Paris. And I’ll have had such a good time. And I’ll wish you could have come with me.“
This only seems to make Lyra cry harder. Then you hear a bell ring and Lyra swings around to look back at the school. She looks back at Bon-Bon with a panicked look on her face, breathing very fast.
“Please go.” Bon-Bon grabs Lyra’s hands again, clasps them together, and raises them up to her chest, “You know I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me. It’s better this way. It’s better that you don’t see me fade away.“
Lyra’s face is red and she’s shaking all over.
“If you trust me, go before you miss the second bell. Please!“

Lyra abruptly turns and runs toward the school’s main door. Bon-Bon turns to watch her. The front door opens and Lyra stops to stare back at Bon-Bon. Bon-Bon cups her hands over her mouth and yells, “I love you!“ Then Lyra disappears inside.

It’s over, and things become very quiet, and very still. You watch Bon-Bon stand there and stare off into the distance for what feels like a very long time.

“Lyra…“ You step away from Aunt Bon-Bon, who walks towards Lyra. The other Lyra.
“Bon-Bon, is everything alright?“ Her expression looks clouded with worry.
“Yes,“ Bon-Bon replies, then shakes her head, “No… Lyra, I have to go.“
They both reach for each others’ hands and hold on.
“You’ll be back though, right?“
“Yes… But I won’t remember any of this.“ Lyra’s mouth hangs open. “I won’t remember anything that happened before I left for Paris.“
“I-I don’t understand.“ Lyra’s breathing is heavy and you can tell she’s already on the verge of crying.
Bon-Bon looks away, “I don’t understand either, but when I come back- the last time I’ll have seen you will be before I left. It’ll be like the last three days never happened. It’ll be like I never got back early.“
Lyra’s lower lip quivers and tears start to drip from her eyes, “Is this a dream?”
“I don’t know.” Bon-Bon inhales deeply and you see her start to cry too, ”But I love you,“ you watch Bon-Bon squeeze Lyra’s hand, “And I’ll still love you when I get back. I promise.“

All at once it hits you and you cover your mouth to silence your gasp. This world’s Bon-Bon is in some place called Paris. And Bon-Bon, your Bon-Bon, was pretending to be this Lyra’s girlfriend. You stare at the pain and confusion in this Lyra’s face and… It’s not right. Bon-Bon would never hurt anypony.

“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.

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?