The bell rang with a clang, and a mint green unicorn made her way through the hallway. Having gathered all of her books from her locker, she ducked and weaved past the web of students. It was the beginning of the semester, and she had received an immense amount of homework. Judging by that, she assumed that it was going to be a very long year of school.

Lyra wobbled to and fro, doing her best to keep the stack of textbooks on her back balanced. “Almost there... just a few more steps...” Lyra’s tongue hung out in concentration. She was trying to reach the exit without any incidents, and she needed to make sure she didn’t drop anything on the way or it was going to be real hard to pick it back up.

“Aha!” Lyra cried out, setting a hoof over the threshold of the doorway. “Made i—” Before she had even finished speaking, a purple unicorn with her face in a book appeared. Lyra tried to stop, but her momentum caused her body to keep going, so she collided headfirst into the unicorn. “Noooooooo!” she cried.

The books fell down in a glorious hail, each pelting Lyra over the head. A sharp pain thrust through her tongue, reigniting every time she bit down on it. As her head repeatedly bounced against the floor, her only thought was: Why did I take so many subjects? When the last book had fallen, Lyra fell backwards. Stars surrounded her head and her vision turned blurry.

She tried to stumble to her hooves several times, but each time she fell back to the ground. Finally, she just gave up and lay on the floor. Staring at the ceiling, her vision slowly returned to normal as the same purple unicorn came into view.

“Sorry about that. Are you okay?” she asked, holding out a hoof. Lyra noticed that her mane was tied in a ponytail and held together by a string.

“Yempt.” Lyra tried to speak, but all that came out was gibberish. She stuck out her tongue, it had turned red. She pointed at it and made gurgling sounds, but all that did was make the purple unicorn tilt her head. Lyra tried to nod, but all she did was make herself nauseous.

“Err... okay then.” A glow appeared on the unicorn’s horn and all of the fallen books magically came together in a neat little stack. She levitated them above Lyra, then set them gently onto her back. Lyra tried to get up, but fell over again, causing the books to fall back down.

The purple unicorn put a hoof to her chin and thought for a bit. “Ah!” Using her magic again, she restacked the pile of books, but this time, she used the string that had been in her mane to wrap the books and keep them in place. “There you go! Good as new.” She smiled.

Lyra stopped and got a good look at the unicorn for the first time.

The purple unicorn flipped her mane with a hoof, causing sparkles and glitter to fly everywhere. The smooth strands of hair spiralled in a lush forest of locks. It was majestic as a merpony, leaping from the sea for a chance to reach the moon, futile as it was. Her eyelashes fluttered up and down, and Lyra swore that the unicorn puckered her lips at her.

The unicorn held her hoof out again. “I’m Twilight. What’s your name?”

Lyra shook her head, trying to shake away the fantasy. “My name’s Lyra.” She reached out and was pulled to her hooves. Her legs wobbled, but she managed to stand. “Thanks.”

Lyra fumbled for something else to say, but words wouldn’t come to her. So she resolved to stare at Twilight, her eyes unblinking.

Twilight was the first to break the staring contest; she looked at the floor instead. “Okay then. Well, uh... see you later?” Levitating the book in front of her face again, she continued walking down the hall.

“Sure!” A grin appeared on Lyra’s face, spreading so wide, it covered most of her face. Twilight strode away, her butt wiggling all the way. She turned around at the last second, but shuddered when she saw Lyra gazing relentlessly back at her.

“Mmmm.” Lyra licked her lips.

---

“I’ll telling you, Sparkler, she was the most beautiful mare I’ve ever seen.” Lyra explained to her friend as they walked through the grass outside of the school.

“You’re into that sort of thing, huh? The bookish type?”

“Err. I’m not sure. All I know is that the way her flank was swinging, mmhmmm, I could definitely see myself getting a piece of that.” Lyra held her hooves in front of her face and shook it vigorously.

Sparkler stared wide-eyed at her. “You... might want to hold yourself back a bit. You might scare her off.”

“Scare her off? How? Who’d be scared of little ol’ me?” Lyra pursed her lips and threw her head back.

“I...” Sparkler decided to change the subject. “Have you asked her out yet?”

Lyra blushed. “Wha? Of course not.”

“Well, you better hurry. The spring formal’s coming soon. If you keep waiting, you’re going to lose your chance.” Sparkler’s eyes darted to the side. “Oh, there’s Twilight now. Here’s your chance!”

Lyra looked across the field and saw Twilight scurrying along the border. Her nose was pushed into a book, just like last time. Lyra held up her hooves to her mouth and tried to use them as cups to amplify her voice. “Hey, Twilight!”

Twilight carried on. She probably didn’t hear her. Dozens of ponies’ heads that were in the field turned to see who was shouting, but not Twilight’s.

Lyra bounced up and down frantically, waving her hooves like she was trying to brush away an invisible spiderweb. “Twilight! Hey Twilight! Over here! Helloooooo! Twilight! Look over here!”

Twilight increased her pace, her canter becoming a gallop. Meanwhile, her eyes bored holes into the book she was reading, and a sweatdrop streamed down her face. She turned the corner and disappeared into a crowd of ponies.

“Huh. She must have really been into that book. She didn’t hear me at all. ” Lyra shrugged.

“Yea...” Sparkler raised an eyebrow.

“No biggie. I’ll get my chance eventually.” Lyra clapped her hooves together. She’d talk to Twilight again, no matter what. She just had to be patient.

---

“I’m gonna ask her out if it’s the last thing I do,” Lyra told herself. After her first attempt, Lyra tried several times, rather unsuccessfully, to track down Twilight. Their schedules never synced up though, so the only reliable way of catching her was after school. Lyra tried to get her attention, but she was always reading. She tried using giant banners, foam fingers, and even a trampoline, but it was like Twilight was trapped in an entirely different world. It felt like Twilight was more interested in books than friends, so if Lyra wanted to get her attention, she’d have to do something drastic.

And that’s why she was sneaking around Twilight’s locker while hiding in a trashcan. She had already dumped out the previous trash and taken cover inside. Lifting the lid high enough to see, Lyra peeked out.

“Anytime now...”

Lyra waited. And waited. And waited. She held her head up with a hoof, but she was drooping. Her eyes fluttered open and shut. Just as she was about to fall asleep, a purple blur flicked across her vision.

“Aha!” Lyra popped out of the trashcan, screaming.

“Ahhhh!” screamed a purple unicorn. She fell to the floor, clutching her chest. “What’s wrong with you?!”

Lyra looked closer. “Whoops, sorry! Thought you were somepony else.” The purple unicorn glared at her and stuck up her hoof. Blushing in embarrassment, Lyra sunk back into the trashcan and placed the lid above her head.

Time passed like a slug travelling in a sea of molasses. Where is she, anyway? Lyra looked at her watch. “Ugggh. What’s taking so long? Where are you, Twilight Sparkle!?”

Some of the ponies that were walking by jumped back, and stared at the supposedly talking trash can. Lyra realized that with all of them staring at her like that, her cover would be blown. “Don’t mind me, I’m just a regular old trash can. Yup, yup, yup.”

The ponies didn’t move. They just kept staring.

She tried to shoo them away with a hoof. “Go away already!” When they didn’t, Lyra shouted, “Oooga Booga, I shall eat your unborn!” Lyra used her magic to levitate the trashcan and threw herself across the room.

The ponies scrambled, scattered and screamed while Lyra became a pinball. The trashcan dented as it bounced along the hallway, hitting all the walls, floor, and ceiling.

“Crud, ahhhhh!” She was sent flying in one last arc before skidding to a stop on the floor. “Ow.” With a clang, she tossed the lid to the side and looked up. A teacher glared at her with her forelegs crossed.

“Hehe, err... hello!” Lyra smiled as wide as she could muster. The teacher grabbed her by the ear and dragged her to the Principal’s office. “Ow! Ow-ow-ow-ow!”

---

After a harsh reprimand from the principal, Lyra decided to stay more low-key. Instead of staking out Twilight’s locker, Lyra decided to visit her at home instead. After bribing a few ponies with bits, she found the location and quickly headed over. She carried an invitation to the spring formal with her, just in case.

“Whoa...” Lyra said as she walked towards the building. It was at least five stories tall, and had a steel gate enclosed around it. After hopping over the gate, Lyra went up to the front door and pressed the doorbell. A baby purple dragon, with green scales, opened the door.

“Oh! Aren’t you the most adorable thing?” Lyra bent down and stroked the dragon behind the ears. He giggled, and his leg thumped against the ground. Lyra cooed as she rubbed the dragon’s belly.

There was a coughing sound from behind him, and he pushed Lyra’s hooves away. He stood to attention. “Yes? What can I do for you?”

“Err... hello there! Is Twilight home?”

The dragon looked Lyra up and down. “Yea, one moment.” He disappeared into the house, leaving the door wide open.

Lyra peeked her head through, she was sure Twilight wouldn’t mind. After all, if it really mattered, then the dragon should have closed the door properly.

Lyra craned her neck around and scanned the premises. It was a normal house; It had the standard furniture and all of that, but the first thing that came to Lyra’s mind was that everything was filled to the brim with books. Towers of books stood on the table next to the door, sticking out of the drawers, and even sitting behind the glass cabinets. “Sheesh.” Lyra’s eyes bulged. “So many books here, she might as well live in a tree.”

A bunch of hushed whispers attracted her attention. Her ears perked up and pointed towards the sound, but she couldn’t make it out. The best she could do was locate the source of the voice; it was in a room right near the door. A purple hindleg and a purple tail stuck out from the doorway. The whispers stopped and the purple dragon appeared again. As he walked back to the door, Lyra pulled her head back outside.

The dragon shrugged at her. “Sorry, Twilight says she’s not here.” A frustrated grunt came from behind him, and he turned around. Half of a mane and an eyeball stuck out from behind the doorway inside the house. It peeked out, but upon catching Lyra’s gaze, it slowly retracted back.

“Are you sure?” Lyra raised an eyebrow.

He smiled. “Positive.”

Lyra’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’ll... just come back later then.” Lyra turned to go, but stopped. “By the way, I’m Lyra.” She put out her hoof.

He shook her hoof with his claw in return. “Spike.”

“Oh, give her this for me, would you?” She handed Spike the invitation she had brought earlier.

“Sure thing.” Spike saluted her.

“Thanks, Spike.” She gave him a little wave as she trotted away.

As Lyra made her way through the front yard, she thought it was rather odd that Twilight didn’t want to speak with her. Who was she fooling? She was obviously right there. “Aha!” Lyra smacked her hooves together. “She’s just shy! Yea, that’s it.” Lyra smiled, having solved the mystery of the day.

---

“So?” Lyra said, cornering Twilight at her locker. “What do you think?”

“Uh... I’m not really interested in going.” Twilight shoved the books into her saddlebags as fast as possible.

“Oh come on! It’ll be fun!” Lyra playfully poked Twilight in the side.

Twilight grimaced. “I don’t really want to, sorry.”

“Aww, don’t be a Sour Spring Shine.” Lyra pleaded with her hooves. “Pleaaaase?”

“I....” Twilight’s eyes darted back and forth between Lyra and the nearest door. She tried to move, but Lyra blocked the way.

“Please?” Lyra’s eyes sparkled like starlights.

Twilight tried to move past Lyra, but she kept getting intercepted. She sighed. “Fine.”

“Yay!” Lyra bounced into the air repeatedly. “I’ll pick you up at seven!” She waved as she hopped outside.

Twilight shook her head and put a hoof against her temple.

---

Thirty minutes before seven, Lyra adjusted her tux and made her way towards Twilight’s house. Taking a deep breath, she rapped on the door three times. A stallion dressed in guard armor opened the door.

“Hey... have you seen Twilight around by any chance? I’m here to pick her up for the spring formal.” Lyra grinned.

“Sorry kid. She went to Ponyville.”

“Err... what?” Lyra’s ears drooped. “You mean she’s not here?”

“Nope. Sorry.”

“But... but... why did she go to Ponyville? We were supposed to go to the formal, together.”

“Orders of the Princess.”

“Oh.” Lyra breathed a sigh of relief. “For a second there, I thought she ditched me.” She poked him in the ribs. “You nearly got me, you.”

The stallion didn’t react.

“Hmm... okay then. Sorry to bother you.” Lyra gave a polite bow and trotted away. “Have a nice day!”

“Ponyville, huh?” Lyra put a hoof to her chin and paused. “Alright! To Ponyville, I go!”

---

“You’re going where?” Lyra’s mother, a mint green unicorn not unlike her daughter, stared incredulously at Lyra.

“To Ponyville.” She grabbed a suitcase and placed it on the bed.

“But honey, isn’t this a little... sudden?” She watched her daughter fly around the room, grabbing various bits and bobbles and throwing it into her suitcase.

“Nah.” Lyra used her magic to close the suitcase. “Besides, I’m gonna go stay with a friend. Everything will be alright.” It was a lie, of course, but what else was she supposed to say?

“But what about bits? Food?”

She sat on top of her suitcase until it finally clicked shut. “No worries. I’ve got enough bits to last me for a while. If I need more, I can just perform with my lyre.” Lyra grabbed her belongings with her magic. “I’ll just buy something on the way there.”

“If you say so...”

Lyra ran over and kissed her mother on the cheek. “Gotta go now. Love you! Bye!”

Her mother watched her canter out the door, her suitcase levitating behind her. “Oh Lyra...”

---

Lyra tapped her hooves together as she waited on the train. The terrain zipped by as the Ponyville Express travelled back to its central location. Lyra stared out the window and smiled. “It’s not Twilight’s fault,” she muttered to herself. “It was the Princess’! But that’s okay. We’ll find something else to do together.”

After about an hour of travelling, the train pulled into the station. After grabbing her suitcases, Lyra hopped off.

“Now how can I find her...?” Lyra tapped her hoof on the ground.

“Heeey!” called a voice.

“Huh?” Lyra turned to the source, a pink pony jumping up and down towards her.

“I’ve never seen you here before!” The pink pony grabbed Lyra’s hoof and shook it vigorously. “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie. What brings you to Ponyville?”

“Name’s Lyra. I’m visiting a friend.” She pulled her hoof away.

“What a coincidence! Another unicorn just arrived here earlier too!” Pinkie Pie continued to hop.

“You don’t say...” A sinister grin appeared on Lyra’s face.

Pinkie Pie pulled a piece of paper out of thin air. “We’re having a party later at the Ponyville Library. Why don’t you stop by and chat?” After she hoofed over the invitation, Pinkie waved. “Well, gotta deliver more invitations now! Bye!

Lyra held the card in her hoof. It read: “You are cordially invited to the ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party at the Ponyville Party. Be sure to stop by early and bring as many friends as you want! The more, the merrier!”

“Hmm,” Lyra said, noting the location. “Time to pay Twilight a little visit.”

---

“What are you doing here?” Twilight gasped, almost dropping her glass. She stared slack-jawed at Lyra, who had just walked through the door.

“Surprise!” Lyra trotted over and hugged Twilight. “I came all the way here from Canterlot just for you!”

“Bu... but... how did you even find me?” Twilight’s jaw dropped open.

“I was given an invitation by Pinkie Pie.” Lyra patted Twilight on the head. “Silly goose.”

Twilight pushed the hoof away. “No, I meant, what are you doing in Ponyville?”

Lyra put her hooves on her hips. “I could ask you the same thing! We were supposed to go to the Spring Formal, remember?”

“I told you I didn’t want to go. You wouldn’t listen!” Twilight waved her limbs in the air.

“What? But why?”

“Can’t you tell?” Twilight asked.

“No?”

Twilight strode up to Lyra and pressed her snout against hers. “You. Are. Creepy.”

Lyra took a few steps back. “Wha? No, I’m not.”

Twilight towered over her. She jabbed a hoof into Lyra’s chest. “Yes, you are! You think I haven’t noticed you following me around all my classes?”

“But...”

“Or the time you hid in that trashcan for hours!” Another jab.

Lyra shrank into a ball. “Buh?”

“Or when you visited my house! That’s a massive invasion of personal space!” Yet another jab.

“Wha?”

“And you touched my dragon! Nopony touches my dragon except me!” Flames appeared from Twilight’s mane.

Lyra’s limbs quivered. “What?”

“You try to force me to go to the Spring Formal, which I don’t even care about! I kept telling you I wasn’t interested, but you wouldn’t back off!” The panic in Twilight’s voice was rising, practically becoming a shout.

“And then, on top of that, you follow me to Ponyville? What are you, some kind of stalker?” The flames around Twilight’s face exploded into a fiery ball before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

“No, I—”

“I was trying to get away from you. That’s why I came here. Yet you followed anyway. What does that make you?”

“I just wanted to—”

“Save it. I was trying to be nice by not saying it to your face, but you’re weird. Obsessed!” Twilight pushed Lyra with both hooves. “No wonder you don’t have many friends.”

Tears welled up in Lyra’s eyes. So this was the truth, was it? Lyra sniffled and rubbed her snout. “If that’s the way you feel, then I’ll leave you alone.” She turned around. Her body felt numb. Why did she care so much, anyway? Twilight was only a unicorn. Lyra quickly left through the front door, ignoring all the ponies that watched her run by. Staring. Judging. That’s all they ever did.

Lyra galloped as fast as she could. From the library and through Ponyville, all she saw was a blur of ponies rushing by. Whether it was from the tears clogging her eyesight or how fast she was going, she didn’t know. What she did know was that she wanted to get out of there. Leave. Never come back.

Why did she care in the first place? She didn’t even know Twilight that well in the first place, so why did she expect anything different? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“Watch out!” Lyra looked up and saw a blurred figure frantically waving its appendages. But it was too late. Lyra couldn’t stop. She locked up her hooves, but her momentum pushed her forward. She felt something hit her in the gut and she was sent rolling. Around and around, until she felt a bit queasy. Finally, she sprawled out on the ground.

“Whoooa.” Lyra wobbled onto her hooves, and looked at what she had hit. Another pony lay facedown and spread-out in the dirt. Cream-colored, with a two-colored mane. She was wearing clothes, but they had been ripped. Lyra wiped her face with a hoof before offering it to the pony that had fallen. “Sorry about that.”

She raised her head, allowing Lyra to see her face. The moonlight reflected off her face, encasing it in a shine. Her curls bounced gently across her face. She had a dimple on her chin and her cheeks blushed red. Sparkling white teeth dazzled out at her.

The cream-colored pony grabbed the hoof and was pulled up. “Why you! Watch where you’re going next time!” She popped her on the snout.

“Hehe. Sorry.” Lyra said, rubbing her sore spot.

The cream-colored pony pointed at her clothes. “You better be able to pay for this.”

“Yea, sure I...” Lyra stopped. She just realized she left all of her stuff over at Twilight’s. “Err, I don’t have any bits at the moment.”

“Don’t give that bull.” She glared daggers.

“I’m sorry. I really don’t.” Lyra stared at the ground.

“What’s your name?”

“Lyra.”

“Well, Lyra. If you ain’t got no money, then you’re gonna work it off.” She reached over and grabbed Lyra by an ear.

“Ow! Don’t pull so hard!” Lyra didn’t even know who this strange pony was, but with all that she went through that night, she didn’t really care. If anything, it felt... nice. Her touch, like velvet fabric, felt nice against her ear. Although the pain had been temporary, it was soon replaced by pleasure. Lyra shudded. “Where are we going anyway?”

“I work at a candy shop. Congrats! You’re my newest employee.” She let go of Lyra’s ear. “Now let’s go.”

“Okay.” Lyra followed behind the mare like an obedient puppy. Lyra couldn’t complain. After all, she had the the best view. Lyra licked her lips and smiled devilishly. So things didn’t work out with Twilight. So what? Maybe this time it would be different.