> Background Alicorn
>  by Damaged
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You really stand guard like this?" Corpa Allata asked.

"Yup," Lyra Heartstrings said. She had spent significant time polishing her armor for this one duty. "You have to understand the weight of the matter. Everycreature has a destiny-weight associated with them. While they're somewhere, fate can be twisted and spun anew simply by the pressure they exert upon the local potential-field.

"You'll notice this more the longer you work at the castle. Villains are attracted to this destiny-weight simply because they can then act easier and warp the fate to their own ends. Now, we have five alicorns inside. Five. Me out here at least makes some room to breathe, but if you ever put five alicorns together, you get a destiny-weight that's close to thirty mega-Discords. That's a lot.

"But, on top of those five alicorns, you have Discord himself, and when I spoke to him earlier, he's sounding pretty feisty today, I'd judge about two mega-Discords just on his own. Plus Thorax, Trixie, Starlight— Oh, and then there's all of Twilight's friends. This is probably the second-biggest destiny-weight event of the year."

Corpa tried to follow along with the logic, and was doing well enough when she realized it was her turn to speak. "And all that's bad? Wait, second biggest?"

"Never, ever—under any circumstances—ever say this is the biggest thing ever, or something like it. You tempt destiny to engineer something worse. In those circumstances, even million-to-one chance events become a sure thing and next thing you know, custard everywhere."

"I like custard." It felt odd, to Corpa, to stand around without being in a pony form. "Would it be okay if I used my old pony shape?"

"Only if you want to." As soon as Lyra said it, Corpa was gone and Inky Stamp stood in her place. "You haven't been Inky for years, right?"

Stretching and rolling her head from side to side, Corpa let out a sigh. "I wish she could be younger— I'm being silly." She flashed with fire to return to her changeling self, then again and became Inky Stamp again, circa thirty years old. "Oh, that's better."

"Careful, or you'll make every mare and stallion jealous of your abilities."

"Of being able to look younger than I am?" As soon as she said it, Corpa realized how true it was. "Right, of course."

"So, as I was saying, that's why I'm standing out here in front of the castle, waiting to see what trouble will turn up. Celestia should be able to keep Twilight from Twilighting, and Shining and Cadance balance each other out—and I sincerely hope Discord can balance himself for once—which leaves outside sources as the only possible souring note."

"Does a griffon count?"

Lyra, who'd been watching Corpa test out different tribes with her Inky form, snapped her head up and spotted a sleek griffon walking toward them. A give-away that they likely weren't arriving with evil intent was the satchel bag they carried. "Good morning! Can I help you with anything?"

The griffon, for just a moment, managed to look like the predator she was. Sleek, strong muscles over a frame designed for speed and deadly precision with numerous natural weapons. Then Gabby's smile took over and she wagged her tail so much her butt wobbled. "Hi! I have a letter for the Princess of Friendship."

"I can take that for her. She's a bit busy at the moment." Lyra waited for the griffon to pass over the letter, but the nervous and slightly disappointed expression told her that the visitor was perhaps more interested in meeting Twilight than delivering her letter. "Do you have anything else to deliver today?"

"N-No. I wanted to spend all the rest of the day asking her questions about ponies." As she spoke, Gabby trailed off, the whole idea seeming silly now. "I understand if she's busy, though." Turning, she spread her wings to take off—but something weird happened to the air under them. Pump as she might, her wings didn't generate any lift at all.

"Why don't you hang out here and wait? She shouldn't be too much longer." Lyra waited for Gabby's flapping to stop before she stilled her own wings—what she'd used to create the air disturbance.

Snapping her head around in time to see Lyra's wings still, she realized something that hadn't occurred to her before. "You're an alicorn!"

Lyra stared in mock shock, then held out her wings and turned in circles with her head tilted, trying to see her horn. "I am?" She bounced in place. "I am!"

Gabby managed a few seconds before she broke into laughter. "How many alicorns are there in Equestria now?" she managed to ask between giggles.

"Not too many, I promise. Hey, are you from Griffonstone or Den?" Lyra asked.

Hoping she was out of Gabby's line of sight, Corpa did her best to keep her transformational flames to a minimum as she changed into an alicorn version of her Inky Stamp self.

"Oh! I didn't introduce myself. My name is Gabby, and I'm the long-haul mailgriff from Griffonstone." Turning to the side, she showed off her mail pouches. "I'm also a member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

Lyra froze where she stood. It had finally happened. She was aware of the effect that her outgoing life had led her to meet a lot of important people, and how it seemed to several of her friends that she had literally met everyone, but this was the first time Scootaloo had done it to her. "A Cutie Mark Crusader, huh?" The shock of the moment wouldn't stop her curiosity. "I feel like I have to ask how you joined the ranks of the most prestigious group in all Equestria?"

It shouldn't have surprised Gabby to know that awareness of her friends' group had spread to the whole town and probably further, but she still liked to hear about them nonetheless. "You know about the Cutie Mark Crusaders? Did they help you with a cutie mark problem?"

"Oh, it was the biggest cutie mark situation in Equestria's history! See, when I moved to Ponyville, I found a filly without her cutie mark, and the Crusaders were the only way she was ever going to get her cutie mark." Lyra could see that Gabby was fully invested. "She had no one to help her, and she needed some heroes to help her find her way. Those heroes were—"

It was impossible to keep quiet. Gabby shouted, "Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo! The Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

Hanging her head, Lyra sighed and whispered, "No." Shaking her head, she hung her shoulders. "For the Cutie Mark Crusaders didn't exist at that time. But you are partly right. That little filly, my daughter, only had Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to turn to."

Gabby was about to ask why, then something hit her. "You're Scootaloo's mom?"

"Guilty. Her and her friends are inside with the party. They really shouldn't be much longer, if you still want to wait."

"But"—Gabby shuffled in place, eager to ask all the questions, but confronted with a need to remain stationary-ish—"why aren't you in there?"

"Well, I have a— Oh no! Inky!" Lyra gasped, staring at the changeling. "The alicornitis got you too?!"

Staring in shock, Gabby could have sworn the other mare was an earth pony when she arrived, but now she had wings and a horn. She let out a panicked squawk.

"It must be spreading." Turning to look from Lyra to Gabby, Inky pointed a hoof in the griffon's direction. "Oh no, look! Gabby grew a horn!"

A griffon desperately trying to feel her forehead for a sign of a horn growing was exactly what Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight saw as they threw open the doors of the castle at that moment. Also, they saw Lyra with the biggest grin ever plastered on her face, snap off a salute.

"Are you tormenting a member of the mail delivery service?" Luna's voice was cold as ice—cold enough that it made the day grow a little darker and her breath to condense.

Seeing her newest friend getting in trouble for playing a prank, Gabby held up her talons to fend off Luna while getting between her and Lyra. "No-no! We were just having fun. Honest, uh…" It sank in at last that she was facing an annoyed alicorn.

Closing her eyes to blot out the panicked look on Gabby's face, Luna tempered her anger. "I apologize. I do not like seeing postal workers made to be the butt of a joke."

Gabby was about to explain things further but Corpa's flash of changeling fire froze her in place as she realized how well the joke had worked—then she broke into giggles. It took her a moment to realize that her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders had stepped out of the castle behind the princesses, along with a lot of other ponies. She had a duty to carry out first, though. Holding out the prized letter that would have gotten her—under any other circumstances—some time talking with the recipient, Gabby cleared her throat and said, "Mail for you, Your Highness."

Twilight did her level best to ignore Luna's excited squeal as she took the letter. "Thank you, Gabby."

"Gabby also has a minor friendship situation she wants to talk to you about," Lyra said. "It's not the highest priority, but she has dedicated the rest of her day here to securing a little of your valuable time."

Twilight didn't need much convincing to meet with Gabby again. She remembered how troubled the griffon had been last time she'd seen her, and could guess that Lyra's "friendship situation" was probably a pretense. Fabrication or not, though, Twilight replied, "Of course. If you show her inside, I need to see our guests off and then I can give the situation my entire focus."

Trying to do as instructed, Lyra nodded her head to Twilight and took two steps toward the doors of the castle when an orange missile collided with her. Stretching a wing out and hugging her daughter, Lyra said, "Hey, Scoots. How was the party?"

"It was great! Trixie showed me a new magic trick, and Discord was trying to trick magic." Laughing off the event, Scootaloo noticed who was beside Lyra. "Oh! Gabby!" She changed targets and pulled herself against Gabby with a hug that she was glad to feel returned. "What're you doing in Ponyville? Work?"

"Yup! I've been so busy delivering news all over Equestria about the changelings that today's the first time I'm getting a breather, and my last delivery was in Ponyville!" Gabby's excitement waned a moment when she remembered why she was here. "I'd love to hang out with you guys, but I needed to see Princess Twilight about"—Gabby glanced back at Twilight, then looked at Lyra, then sighed—"apologizing about lying to her."

"Oh. Right. The cutie mark thing. I'm sure she'll understand. Even Apple Bloom tried to fake getting a cutie mark one time," Scootaloo said.

"And I remember a young filly who found some paint one day trying to draw her own." Poking Scootaloo in the ribs with one feather, Lyra nodded toward the castle. "If you want to invite your friends, I could cook something for all of us."

"Just don't forget," Sweetie Drops said as she walked out of the castle and passed Lyra, "we have our date tonight."

Lyra's legs wobbled and she couldn't stop her expression from going deep into silly-happy-grin territory. "I'd never forget it. The reservations are in Canterlot, right?"

"Yes. I asked if you'd be able to teleport that—" Sweetie's words were cut off by a kiss that she had no intention of rejecting.

"You two should get a room." Scootaloo, her wing still over Gabby's shoulders, steered their way over to where Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were talking. "Hey, girls, did you want to have something to eat? Gabby's visiting!"

"You have work?" Lyra asked Sweetie Drops when the kiss ended.

Nodding, and ending up with her cheek pressed to Lyra's, Sweetie Drops sighed. "Trixie wants to get some better training. She's been an amazing asset for R&A, and I don't think she needs it for her job, but the changeling foalnapping hit her hard."

"I could—"

"No. She specifically asked not to get training from you. I think she might be worried that she'll wind up with wings next." Sweetie Drops cursed mentally at having to leave for the meeting in Canterlot, but she had to finish the cleanup of Chrysalis' throne. "Remember that explosion that shattered the throne into a million pieces and scattered them all over the desert?"

"You finally got them all?"

"We think so. There was some residual magic blocking from each piece, and I had to call in hundreds of unicorns from different Guard units, but we got them. I am attending the final reassembly today, and then they will be locked up except for several pieces that will be experimented on. This might prove to be an effective tool."

Lyra could see that Gabby was more than happy talking with Scootaloo and her friends, and decided to take a moment to catch up on the latest news. "You said you used unicorns to detect it. Does that mean it only affected unicorn magic?"

"No, it also affected pegasi and some earth pony abilities. Not my grounding, though. It's a little easier having unicorns test for it though." Taking a deep breath, Sweetie Drops couldn't keep back a little urge to tell everyone she was absconding with Lyra and leave with her here and now. "I'll see you tonight. Don't be late."

Just like her wife, Lyra wanted to throw all her duties away and run off to find somewhere alone together—but she couldn't do more than fantasize about it. "I'm not going to say what it would take to make me late, because the world would take it as a challenge. I'll be there."

Sweetie Drops nodded and walked off for the railway station before she surrendered to that urge. "Lyra wanted to handle your training. You know she would be the best at it, right?"

Snorting, Trixie tossed her mane and then adjusted her hat. "I know that, but she attracts too many eyes. The Great and Powerful Trixie enjoys the spotlight too much for that kind of assistant." She ignored Sweetie Drops' snort of derision. "And besides, learning how to use magic isn't my problem—I want to learn how not to use magic."

"That…" Sweetie Drops didn't want to give an opinion too quickly. Lyra was, without a doubt, the best trainer for practical high level magic in Equestria. She was also probably one of the better pegasi trainers for intermediate flight skills, too. "I am not sure who to— Wait. I have the best teacher for you."

"Who?" Trixie asked.

"Tomorrow I'll see about asking her. I don't think you've met Tree Hugger before, but if anypony can manage to work magic in a magic-proof area—it's her."





Lyra was supremely comfortable in the castle kitchen. The equipment was all magic powered and despite her best effort, she'd not found where it drew that power from. On the stove she had a huge pot of rice steaming while also working on a mild curry.

Well, a mild curry and a spicy one. She was making triple batches, because she had a griffon, two alicorns, and three ponies to feed and Lyra didn't want to leave anyone begging for seconds.

The timer for the rice went off, and Lyra popped the top off it and killed the heat. Giving it a quick paddling and a taste to make sure it was done, she set out six large bowls and filled them. The curries went on top, and she set a little piece of fish to the side of the three extra spicy ones, and picked them all up with her magic and headed for the dining room.

Gabby felt renewed. She had apologized, Twilight had given her a way to make amends—and it was something she was excited to do. The return of Lyra, though, broke up a little silence that had been stretching a hole in the conversation. She was about to ask Lyra what she'd cooked, but then the scent of it hit her nose and her eyes glazed over a little. She could smell fish—nice-smelling fish.

"You said you don't mind spicy food, Gabby. I hope this isn't too hot." Setting the bowls down, Lyra gave Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Twilight the mild ones, and Scootaloo, Gabby, and herself got fish-filled hot ones.

Taking her seat, Lyra was inordinately pleased by the sounds of four ponies and a griffon making appreciative food-eating noises.

Stunned by how good the food was, Gabby couldn't stop herself from scooping more and more of it into her beak, savoring the rice and rich buttery curry. She almost lost her mind at the amount of fish in it, and managed to pause just long enough to ask, "I didn't know ponies ate this much fish."

Scootaloo was nodding, and finished her mouthful before Lyra. "Yup. Pegasi who are training need lots of protein. With all the hard flying we do with the Wonderbolts, our feathers are getting stressed and damaged regularly. Plus it helps build muscle."

Gabby knew that Scootaloo was a Wonderbolt from their chatting earlier, but that made her look at Lyra with a little confusion. "But why would an alicorn need it, then?"

"Because my mum's a Wonderbolt too." Scootaloo couldn't help but grin as Gabby's eyes widened in surprise. "Somepony decided she needed to be a better flier, and cooked up a crazy deal with Commander Spitfire to join up in disguise. She didn't even tell me—and I was training her!"

Looking back at Lyra, Gabby asked, "What else have you done?"

"Well, I don't mean to brag, but I studied magic with the most amazing unicorns in Equestria." Sparing a look for Twilight, Lyra winked at her before turning back to Gabby. "And I got suuuper lucky in finding the most amazing mare to marry."

Whistling a little, Gabby settled back on her seat a little. She hadn't realized how far she'd been leaning on the edge of her seat while Lyra and Scootaloo spoke. Trying to think of a good followup question, something surprised her by slipping to the fore. "You know about Den? Have you met Gavin?"

"I'd love to visit, but I've been too busy. Gavin seems to have things well under control, though. If you see him, tell him I said 'Hi'."

Nodding in excitement, Gabby took that more as a job rather than a request—mostly because she wanted to visit Den again. "Absolutely!"

Focusing on her food again, Lyra worked to clean her bowl. It wasn't that she intended a big meal to make up for whatever Canterlot haute cuisine had to offer, but she planned to fly to Canterlot, and that meant she'd need some good energy.

"When are you leaving for Canterlot?" Twilight asked, taking note of the ravenous consumption by Lyra.

Pausing between mouthfuls, Lyra said, "I thought I should actually surprise Sweetie by being on time."

Laughing, Twilight shook her head. "Will wonders never cease? You know, there was a friendship mission a while back at a restaurant there?"

That got Lyra's attention. "Oh? Something good happened, I hope?"

"Definitely! Saffron Marsala and Coriander Cumin were being denounced by a local food critic, despite making good food. Rarity and Pinkie helped them shine. From what I understand, between their curry restaurant gaining such a good footing now and some of the nobles of Canterlot who have become strangely delighted with spicy food, the city's foodscape has had a revolution."

"They make curry?" Lyra was practically vibrating in place now—but then deflated. "Sweetie has organized that side of things tonight. I guess I can always try them another time. What is the restaurant's name?"

"Oh, uh…" Twilight fumbled at her memory for a moment, then summoned her diary and checked the relevant date. "Ah. The Tasty Treat."

"You know, a kind princess would give me until tomorrow afternoon to return. That way I could get lunch there and—"

"Do I look like Fluttershy, Lyra?" Arching one eyebrow, Twilight smirked at her friend. "Buuuut I might be persuaded to look the other way if somepony were to bring back something."

Tapping the side of her snout with her hoof, Lyra nodded. "I'm sure I can find something that will accidentally make the journey back with me. Perhaps even enough to have a small banquet for dinner tomorrow night?"

"Make it a large banquet. We can always have leftovers the next day." Holding out her hoof to Lyra, Twilight waited for the clop before saying, "Then, in a completely unbiased and not-at-all-corrupt state, I hereby grant you permission to remain in Canterlot until no later than five PM."

"I'm glad I have such a beneficent leader." Scooping up the last of her rice, Lyra asked, "You'll be okay here all on your own?"

Twilight snorted and rolled her eyes. "If anything was going to happen, it would have happened at the party. Besides, Starlight and Trixie are here as well. I won't ask what could go wrong, because I'm starting to see your reasoning—but it'll be fine."

"Oh, how is Corpa settling in? She makes a good secretary, right?" Standing up, Lyra picked up her empty bowl.

Doing likewise, Twilight carried her own dish to the kitchen. "It's hard to think that she was Inky Stamp for all those years. Are you sure she doesn't want to go back and work at Celestia's school?"

"I asked if she wanted to, but when she heard that Ink Blot has had the job for over a year, she refused. This lets her do what she wants to, live openly, and socialize. She also gets to talk with other changelings when they visit." Washing the bowls, and tossing Twilight the kitchen towel to dry with, Lyra remembered something from earlier. "Oh! Gabby recognized me as an alicorn practically right away. I think we can be confident that alicorn blindness is strictly a pony thing."

Even as she dried the dishes, Twilight teleported a notepad and pencil from her study and made a note on it. "I need to get a wider cross-section of creatures to test this blindness on. Where could I find a dragon who isn't likely to know already?"

"I can think of one." Adding gravitas to her statement by waiting, Lyra judged it time to answer when Twilight was about to snap her pencil in half. "Gavin said there's a dragon near Den, that they trade with for scales and protection. Now, Luna said that they're quite nice for a dragon, so I figure I could pay a visit and—"

"Not this time. Perhaps in a few months when all this changeling stuff has settled. Until then, I don't want you to travel more than half a day away from here." Twilight left unsaid that it was as much for Lyra's protection as for herself. "Have you come up with a shield spell we can employ all the time?"

"Well, sure. That's easy. We'd be unconscious within a week from the mana drain, but I can absolutely make a spell that does that. What I need is some time with Dinky and Sweetie Belle to optimize the design and simplify the pattern."

Nodding, the reasoning behind those two ponies needing to be involved was obvious to her, Twilight said, "In a month, Celestia's school lets out for a two-month break. I'd suggest picking then to get them both together to work on it. Bribery, of course, is recommended."

"I'll talk to Derpy Hooves about it. I might have to promise a few favors there, but I can ask Sweetie Belle right now." Walking back to the dining room, Lyra groaned as she found it empty, the bowls all neatly stacked at the end of the table. "Or I could fly off before you realize they left all the plates for us to clean."

"Lyra Heartstrings, get your tail back in here or I will have your wife bury you in that throne she's cataloging." Twilight used her magic to grab said tail and give it a tug back into the kitchen. "And bring those bowls with you."





Still giggling from her attempt to get out of washing dishes even as she reached Canterlot, Lyra soared above the capital of Equestria and took a moment to admire its beauty. The various circles of the city, the island sections of the airship docks and the E.U.P. Guard sector, even the railway station all had their own beauty, but it was the castle reaching high into the sky without any thought at all toward such mundane things as gravity or engineering that always reminded Lyra that she was a magical pony in a magical pony land.

As she watched the city below, she noticed there was a lot of activity at the Guard training fields. Curious, and with a few hours to spare, she circled slowly in that direction. At least two pegasi, currently manning the front entrance, spotted her. Their salute was likely more because she was wearing her armor than due to them recognizing her—or so she figured.

Several groups of trainees were being put their paces in small-group practice. She glided away from that when she spotted Stiff Peaks doing his best to reach the mess before anyone noticed.

Lyra was having none of it. She aimed her dive to intercept him before he would get inside and stooped her wings. Even a Wonderbolt wouldn't have hit the ground as hard as she did. Providing strength to her legs with what little earth pony magic she knew, and even pressing down into the ground to stop from making a crater, she tucked her wings back and smirked at Stiff. "Hi."

Taking a slow breath, Stiff shook his head. "Get in the mess if you want to talk. Otherwise, out of my way."

Stepping to the side, Lyra let Stiff pass before following him in. "I saw the bat ponies and griffons out there. Is training going well?" She followed him to a station and caught the vegetables he tossed toward her.

"Slice thin. I'm making ratatouille." Stiff located the pot of sauce he'd had simmering most of the day. "The griffons are shaking down well, but I expected that. The first intake we had from Den and Griffonstone were all trained fighters already. The bat ponies were another story. It took more work for them to fall-in with our training. I'm going to have to try something different."

Getting to work on the eggplant, Lyra followed his words closely. "And that short, red pegasus?"

"Ha! He was fighting a griffon on his first day. I would have booted them both out if Bottle Rocket didn't vouch that she was letting them spar. That's what made the griffons react so well, I think. Showing them that we can fight, that they can trust us to have their backs in a fight, and that we'll do our best to make sure none of us need to fight." Checking the sauce for seasoning, Stiff found himself adding a little extra pepper to it. "He's doing well, otherwise. A good flier—Bottle said he's one of the best here—and he took to combat training like a fish to water."

"I'm glad to hear that." Lyra didn't mention his history. It would be easily obtained if Stiff dug, but she wasn't going to undermine the trust Short Fuse had shown her. "Do you want these on the rack there?"

"Yeah."

Sprinkling the eggplant slices with salt, Lyra set each out to dry. "Where's the normal crew?"

"It's early afternoon. They're not on the clock for another two hours." Stiff waved his hoof toward the clock above their heads. "What about you? Running errands for the princess?"

"I could say yes, but the truth is today is one of the rare days when my Bonny and I both have some time off. We're going out for dinner tonight." Patting at the eggplant with a towel, Lyra moved on to chopping zucchini.

"Don't let me keep you, if you need to go and get ready. The help is appreciated, though." Despite his earlier gruffness, Stiff wanted to cut the mare some slack. Despite his experience using a knife, she still sliced her way through the vegetables at least three times faster than he could.

Turning in place and looking at Stiff, Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Are you going soft, Captain?"

"No. Reminding myself that despite having seen you get your training under my command, you are every bit my equal now—out there or in here."

"You're still the master of this kitchen, sir." Lyra moved fast to take the strike from Stiff's wooden spoon on her armored shoulder. "You are. If you weren't, I'd retaliate rather than let you get tomato sauce on my armor."

Thinking about that, Stiff felt his leadership was asserted enough. "But out there—"

"Most ponies can't even recognize that I have a horn and wings. They see one, they won't see the other. If you want to see the best example of that, I'll come back tomorrow and we can walk past the recruits. Watch every griffon stare while every pony ignores me." Lyra moved on to the squash next.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Really. Twilight and I have written numerous papers about alicorn blindness. Oh, right, changelings see an alicorn for what they are, and we're going to test it with dragons when either of us gets a moment free. Is this enough?"

Having been cutting up some tomatoes to match the slices Lyra had been making, Stiff nodded. "Perfect. Get out of here and show me tomorrow what this 'alicorn blindness' is all about." Using a little of his earth pony strength to push Lyra toward the door. He knew she could have pushed back, but was relieved she didn't. When she'd left at last, he thought about that. "It wouldn't be so bad if she weren't a damn alicorn."

Trotting out of the mess kitchen, Lyra took a deep breath and made her way back to the home she and Sweetie had in Canterlot. It wasn't far, which was how they'd wanted it, but Lyra still broke into a gallop as soon as she paws past the entrance of the Guard training area and didn't slow until she had reached her front gate.

Opening the front door, Lyra walked inside and found a note. She made her way to their armory to start removing her gear before reading it.



I don't know how to thank you enough. Stuff got pretty crazy, and I didn't even know what I wanted out of life. I thought the Wonderbolts would be the place I could fit in, and the rejection hit hard. You



It trailed off a little, and had been crossed out a lot, but there was more below that.



I tried to clean the place up. Rolling Thunder is on her way to Canterlot and should be here in a couple of weeks. I'm going to the sign-up today. Damn, I've never wanted something as much as this. Thanks I



There was more crossed out.



I don't know how else to say it. Every time I try to write more, I get angry, cry, and want to shout. So thanks.

—Short Fuse



Lyra had to stop removing her armor to reread the letter. The amount he'd struggled saying what he wanted only made it better. "I wonder if there are more ponies out there, who didn't live up to the standards of what they thought they wanted?" A tingle of excitement bubbled through Lyra that wasn't entirely from within. "Oh ho? Really? I'll keep my eyes peeled, then. Steer them to me, and I'll help them stand up and be proud."

Getting back to her task, she stripped all her armor off while humming a tune. It was bright and happy, and she almost considered summoning one of her instruments to develop it into something more—but knew she had to get ready.

She was about to step into the shower when she head the front door open and close. Closing her eyes, she listened to the movements of the other pony in her house. Solid clops of hooves on the timber floor, taking a direct route through to where Lyra was, and eventually the sound of the door of the bathroom opening by hoof. "Want to share?" Lyra asked.

Sweetie closed the door behind her and, without breathing a word, made sure Lyra knew her answer.





"The last of the throne has been squared away and sealed, with only a few pieces left out for testing." Acutely aware how uncommon it was lately to shower with her love, Sweetie Drops thoroughly enjoyed letting Lyra Heartstrings dry her with magic. What she loved most, though, was having Lyra close, and when her wife leaned over and put all her weight on Sweetie's side, she let out a happy little whicker.

"Soooo, where are we going? Should I dress up?" Leaning against Sweetie, Lyra tilted her head and nuzzled her neck while stretching a wing over her back.

Shivering at the soft feathers that, despite their gentle touch, were shockingly strong, Sweetie nuzzled Lyra back. "I'm going to ask again, and it probably won't be the last time, but did you become an alicorn and a Wonderbolt just for me?"

"If I said yes, would we still have time to make the reservation?" Lyra said, her voice low and a purr.

Rolling her back as Lyra played her rib cage like a musical instrument, Sweetie groaned. "No. Ugh. I am going to stuff you with so much food you can barely walk, then I'll carry you back here and—and do unspeakable things to you."

"How unspeakable?" Lyra asked, slowly drawing her wing back and to her side. She opened the door.

Following through to the armory, Sweetie said, "I cannot speak of them. Moving around Lyra's armor, she froze. "How did you get—? That's not blood; it's tomato sauce. Lyra!"

"Would you believe me if I said I had to fend off a giant, rampaging goulash?" When Sweetie glared at her, Lyra mock-fainted. "You should have seen it. There was paprika and potatoes everywhere. Others tried to"—Lyra had to start trotting around her armor on its stand because now Sweetie was chasing her—"to keep back the tomatoes, but I had to use my best shield spell to protect them. I couldn't—"

"Lyra!" Despite herself, Sweetie was laughing like a fool. Stopping, she turned around and kissed Lyra when she came up behind her. "What really happened?"

"Would you believe a flying spaghetti monster?" When that didn't work, Lyra tried, "What about three foals with tomato sauce squirters?"

Reaching out with her leg, Sweetie carefully got a little of the sauce onto the clean edge of her hoof and tasted the sauce. "Stiff Peaks is making a tomato sauce with… Oh, that's good stuff. What is he making?"

"Ratatouille. I helped him cut up the vegetables for it. Where are we going for dinner?" Lyra began oiling down the heavy canvas straps of her armor, while Sweetie brushed and polished the plates.

"I was discussing with a few other Guardponies, and they said there's an amazing curry restaurant in town. It's getting tons of great reviews, and I figured you'd love that, so we're going to—"

"The Tasty Treat," Lyra said, nodding. At the jaw-dropped stare from her wife, she asked, "What?"

"How? I know for a fact you haven't been in Canterlot for weeks. You were organizing aid for the changelings and then working guard duty for Twilight. How did you know about this place?" Sweetie swapped sides with Lyra.

"A mare's intuition." Tapping her head with a hoof, Lyra grinned. "Oh! Do you remember when I was attending Celestia's school, the receptionist there? Inky Stamp?"

Sweetie could remember the name, face, and cutie mark of every pony under her command, and a lot more besides. She'd conditioned herself to take careful notice of details—but when she'd been working for her mother while Lyra was at school, she wasn't quite so talented. "Not… really. But go on."

"So, a while back I was trying to get Sweetie Belle and Dinky spots at the school, and I found a new mare working the counter. I helped her out with her filing for a day— You should remember this one. It was a day I almost knocked myself out trying to teleport you while you were grounded!"

Blinking, Sweetie shrugged. "Silly horses doing silly things. Keep going."

"Anyway, it turns out Inky Stamp was actually Corpa Allata: a changeling. I asked if she'd like to get her old job back, but she didn't want to impose, which is why I hired her to help Twilight as her secretary." Lyra finished up the last strap. "Well?" she asked, when Sweetie didn't immediately reply.

"Wasn't Twilight's secretary your job?" At Lyra's nod, Sweetie genuinely smiled wide. "Good work. You can't do everything."

"Also, I have one new recruit for Twilight's Friendship Guard going through training, and another for the next round. I suspect I might have at least a third on the way." Opening the door that led to their bedroom, Lyra fluffed her wings a little.

"I still want to know how you knew about this restaurant. Flicking your wings isn't going to distract me." Sweetie followed Lyra all the way to their wardrobe.

Stretching her right wing out, then tucking it back and repeating with her left, Lyra raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, it is distracting me a bit, but I'm still not going to let this rest. I put up with a lot of your shenanigans, but I want to know this one." Reaching out, Sweetie carefully hooked her cannon over Lyra's wing and brought it to her face to nuzzle.

"I'm thinking we go the full deal tonight. Matching dresses." Reaching with her magic while Sweetie seemed distracted, Lyra passed one of the yellow dresses to her wife. The second, the one Lyra kept, was specifically made for a larger pegasus mare, which was a good way to describe herself now—at least from the neck down. "Twilight told me about the restaurant. Rarity and Pinkie worked together to save them from being run out of town by a terrible reviewer."

Halfway through putting on her dress, Sweetie looked back at Lyra and shook her head. "So, that's it."

"Mmhmm. Is it hard to get a booking there?" Lyra asked.

"Three weeks I've sat on this reservation. That's why I was so adamant for you to get here early." Sweetie hadn't exactly doubted her wife would make it, but Lyra had a habit of getting herself in situations where she was needed for fully justified reasons. "Let me help."

"You'd think, by now, I'd be better at putting a dress on." Enjoying the fussing, Lyra turned and shifted at Sweetie's directions until she was dressed. "If it was a suit of armor, I could have it on in seconds."

Kissing Lyra's cheek, Sweetie fought back her laugh to a soft chuckle. "One of the many reasons I love you. For all you're an alicorn who has her head in the clouds, you're down to earth too."

Lyra did her best to catch Sweetie's lips with her own, but was undone by a last second turn that had her barely brushing a cheek. "We don't have time for some snuggles?"

"We would have time for one snuggle, but it would be so fast that it wouldn't be worth it—and then we'd almost be late." Shivering as three primaries traced down the back of her dress, Sweetie shook her head. "Three weeks, Lyra. Come on, we're going now."

Slumping, Lyra groaned. "No fair. We could still—"

"We're going to have time after dinner to snuggle, Lyra. Most of the evening." It took everything Sweetie had to walk out of the room. She didn't get to be selfish often, but right now she was feeling positively self-centered in her desire to have the best night ever with Lyra.

Following, with the prospect of an evening together putting a bounce in her step, Lyra spotted Short Fuse's note where she'd put it down after reading it. She tucked it into her dress and left the house to chase after Sweetie. "So, where is it?"

"Outer ring, a third of the way around, counterclockwise—and we're not running." When Lyra lined up with her, Sweetie rolled her eyes. "Or teleporting." Walking, Sweetie was glad when Lyra matched her. She was particularly happy when Lyra stretched a wing over her back.

Canterlot was a magical city, but it was still full of homes and ponies who were trying to get by and follow their destiny however they could. Lyra was tempted to stop at every little snack stall or corner treat shop. With Sweetie beside her, leading ever onward toward a fancy restaurant, she managed to resist.

When they reached the front of the colorful restaurant, Lyra drew her wing back and let Sweetie lead the way inside. A yellow/orange coated stallion greeted them at the front and asked if they had a reservation.

"For two, under Sweetie Drops and Lyra Heartstrings," Sweetie said.

Checking the book, the stallion nodded. "Of course. Right this way. I'll be your server tonight. My name's Coriander Cumin and—" Coriander froze at the sight of Lyra. He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what had broken his patter. Then he saw it. Eyes widening, he dipped his head. "Your Highness, please forgive me."

"Lyra isn't a princess, yet." Elbowing Lyra, Sweetie added, "We're just here for dinner."
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The smells were almost set to make Lyra drool herself to dehydration. The restaurant was a heady mix of spices, and she wanted to taste all of them. Taking her seat, she looked first at Sweetie, who also looked excited, then she turned to Coriander.

"Our menu is divided into two styles. The first is a meal recommended for ponies who would like to experience some dishes from my homeland with a more Equestrian palate as the focus. It has several mains to choose from, as well as your choice of appetizers and desserts. The second is more traditional, and caters more to an authentic experience. For the latter, it is a prix fixe menu—a fixed list." Coriander graced the couple with his most sincere of smiles. Watching ponies enjoy their food was always the best part of running a restaurant for him.

"Much as my wife would love to order one of everything, I think we'd like the second option." Looking pointedly at Lyra, Sweetie raised an eyebrow.

"R-Right." One of everything sounded exactly like what Lyra wanted, though she was willing to admit that trying everything, going home, and sleeping off a food coma for a week was a very good plan. "Oh, do you do to-go orders too? I had to bribe my boss with the offer of a take-home banquet."

Coriander was no fool. He'd learned the joy of friendship from two wonderful ponies who'd saved his daughter's restaurant. Right now, though, he had an alicorn talking about her "boss", and Coriander could think that there was a short list of ponies that could be—and all of them would be excellent to have as clientele. "Not normally, but I am sure we can make accommodations. How many will this banquet be serving?"

"Two alicorns with big appetites. Could I request that it be half portions of many meals? That way, more flavors can be sampled."

That ruled out one potential "boss" for Coriander. He calculated that it was either Twilight Sparkle and a plus-one, or the two alicorns were Celestia and Luna. "Of course. And can I get you two any drinks?"

"I'll take a—" Sweetie paused. "You know, I bet you'd know exactly what drinks would go with the meal, so I'll have whatever you'd recommend."

When he looked at her, Lyra nodded. "That sounds like an excellent idea."

"I'll be back with those." Turning, Coriander felt a new buzz of excitement. Ever since Rarity and Pinkie Pie had visited, The Tasty Treat’s popularity had grown in leaps and bounds. He parted the doors into the back of house and used a bulldog clip to attach the order to his daughter's order board. "Saffron, these are VIP guests. You'll never believe it. An alicorn and her wife had booked ahead!"

"A princess?!" Saffron felt stunned. She wanted to go peek at her customers, cook the best meal she could, and go out and bow to them—all at the same time.

"She said she isn't, but what else can an alicorn be? She and her wife want the prix fixe menu, but she had an odd request. She wants some extra half dishes to go. That won't be a problem?" Coriander was sure he hadn't overstepped, but his daughter also had the temper of a chef, and that sometimes flared when she was pressed.

"That won't be a problem. Half portions?" Saffron read the ticket. "Ah, I see. A half portion of everything off tonight's menu, then, and we can send that with them. Father?"

Relieved she was so calm about it, Coriander asked, "Yes, Saffron?"

"Keep being wonderful." Giving her father a hug, Saffron checked the orders on her board. "Start them with some mango lassi. I'll have their roti, samosa, and dal prepared by the time you come back."

"You're amazing, Saffron." It made his heart burst with pride to see his daughter so driven in her love for cooking. Turning to the drinks section, Coriander prepared a pair of creamy and sweet mango lassi for their customers.

Levitating the drinks out, Coriander set them down on the table before each mare. "Our chef said she can easily accommodate your request. These are mango lassi. I'll be back with your appetizers."

"I hope that wasn't too much of an imposition." Lyra turned her drink's straw toward her and sipped, watching as Sweetie did the same. "Oh wow. Mom and Tufts would love this."

"Well, get them a reservation. I thin—" Sweetie cut herself off as Coriander returned with two trays. Each had three pointed samosas, two flatbread roti, a small portion of a lentil dish. "Thank you."

"This appetizer has a mild dal, which you can eat with the roti bread. The samosas have their own range of dips. Please, enjoy." It was the standard thing Coriander always said and he never got tired of seeing people drooling at the sight of his daughter's cooking.

Lyra used her hoof to hold a samosa and dipped it into a creamy sauce, and tried it. The explosion of flavor almost floored Lyra. The richness of the samosa and the vibrant sauce were both a step above anything she'd made before. "Shoo goof."

Sweetie, who'd opted to try her dal and roti first, was in her own slice of heaven. The lentil stew was thick and, moments before it could escape the half of a piece of roti she'd used to pick some up, she got it in her mouth.

Both were without ability to talk more as they reveled in gastronomical delight. Every sense worked together to build an atmosphere that existed solely to support the dining experience into a crescendo of perfection. But the appetizer wasn't to last forever. The last samosa swallowed, and the last piece of roti used to scoop the dal from its bowl, and both were left staring at each other in shock.

"That was so good I can barely think of words to describe it. How was that so amazing?" Lyra asked.

"I don't know, but we need to eat here again." Sweetie looked down at her platter to make sure she hadn't left anything uneaten. "Am I allowed to invite myself to whatever you and Twilight are planning to do with the to-go order?"

Coriander, serving entrées at a nearby table, smiled a little more at having been able to hit the nail on the head.

"Oh, did you get to the bottom of the towns not accepting Guard outposts?" Lyra asked, not particularly liking the idea of talking shop, but still trying to come to terms with how scrumptious her meal was and needing a distraction.

"Pharynx cleared that up for me when I was at the changeling hive removing the throne. It was part of Chrysalis' big plan to destabilize our forces as she took over the leadership of Equestria. He helped me track down every town involved. Surprisingly, most of the infiltrators were doing a great job, otherwise, of running things." Taking a long sip of her drink, Sweetie sighed. "I have talked with Stiff about opening recruiting to changelings."

Likewise, enjoying her drink, Lyra waited for the taste to start to fade before she asked, "He had any thoughts?"

"Go slow. Offer amnesty to any changelings who are or were already in the Guard. Then talk to Pharynx and Thorax about opening talks." Spotting Coriander approaching their table, Sweetie cut short the conversation. He was carrying two trays, each had a bowl with a little lid on it, a second bowl sans lid, as well as another pair of drinks. "Thank you," she said as he took away their platters and empty glasses then replaced them.

"We have here a fragrant biryani featuring locally grown vegetables originally from the north of my homeland, steamed under a layered bed of seasoned rice. Accompanying that is a korma of braised vegetables cooked with dahi sauce of yogurt. The biryani is a touch on the hot side for local palates, but the dahi will cool you down if you need it." At the knowing smile on Lyra's face, Coriander couldn't help but ask, "Your palate enjoys a little more spice than is common?"

"My darling would eat liquid fire if I told her she could. Last I saw, she was consulting with a Zebrican about growing some nightmare from her home country called a bonnet. If you plan to challenge her on this, I want no part of it."

Poking her tongue out at Sweetie, Lyra chuckled and said, "I may enjoy spicier things, but in the interest of peace and tranquility, I'll forsake anything hotter than my darling can tolerate tonight."

Nodding, with nothing more to say, Coriander nonetheless wished them enjoyment on their meal and departed to the kitchen. He knew exactly what he would find, but his daughter's worry was plain to see. "They loved your cooking."

It took those four words to let Saffron breathe again. "I called a friend and they called around too. Those are not simply two mares, even if one is an alicorn. Both are captains in the E.U.P. Guard." At the look of surprise on her father's face, Saffron nodded. "But there's more. Lyra Heartstrings, so a cousin said, is part of the reason why the Guard serve curries regularly. She really liked it?"

Seeing tears at the corners of his daughter's eyes, Coriander pulled her into a hug. "They loved it, I swear. I found out who her boss is, too. She's taking the extra food back to Princess Twilight Sparkle." The gasp of recognition from Saffron made him laugh. "The friend of Miss Pinkie Pie and Miss Rarity."

Nodding, reaching out for a clean cloth with her magic to wipe at her eyes, Saffron breathed a heavy sigh out. "Please tell me how they like the— No. I will come out and ask them myself."

Nodding his head, Coriander said, "And offer them another reservation. I overheard one say they wanted to invite others."

"We should definitely hold a table for such guests," Coriander said. "Have you considered a chef's table?"

"In here?" Shaking her head, Saffron added, "Where would we put it?" She gestured around the cramped kitchen that seemed tiny with just the two of them there.

"Let's talk it over after service is finished. There is plenty of time to plan later." Coriander peeked out the slats in the kitchen door and saw the two ponies in question eating with every evidence of joy. "How is Horse D'oeuvre working? Is she taking good orders?"

"There was a moment where she brought me the orders from three tables at once, but I spoke to her about it. Everything else has been fine. She writes legibly, too." Saffron walked back to her tandoori oven and tossed some fresh bread into it. "Now, who is next?"

The main meal, for Lyra, was another fantastic eating experience. The flavor of the biryani wasn't overpowered by its heat, and when she sampled the korma she found it a surprising new favorite. "I wonder if they have anything with fish in it?" she asked Sweetie.

"Perhaps. How great is this korma? It's so creamy. I could eat this every day of my life and never get tired of it."

"I need to find the recipes for these, but I don't want to ask the chef here." Another mouthful of the saffron-spiced basmati rice had Lyra's hooves tapping the floor in bliss.

Neither could bring themselves back to their work discussion, too deep down the rabbit hole of cultural cuisine to pause after savoring one bite to interrupt it before the next.

When the two bowls on both sides were empty, and Lyra and Sweetie slumped back in their chairs, both looked at each other with silly-happy grins. Words weren't needed, just the companionship and bonds that each felt for the other.

Waiting for the two to fidget a little, Coriander made his way over to Lyra and Sweetie's table and removed their trays and (now empty) glasses. "Will you be staying for dessert?"

Lyra's eyes bulged at the very idea of more food, but before she could say anything, Sweetie cut her off.

"Absolutely. After such a great meal, we need a capstone. Please, give the chef our best." Sweetie watched as a mare left the kitchen and walked toward their table. She could read ponies reasonably well, trained as she was by years of leading them to places they probably didn't want to be, and the mare in front of her looked nervous.

"This is my daughter, Saffron Marsala. She's the owner and chef of The Tasty Treat." Coriander gestured to Saffron. "These are the two patrons who so enjoyed your meals, they want to take some home with them."

"Thank you so much," Lyra said. "We don't often get a chance to enjoy each other's company like this, so having a great meal in a cozy restaurant made it extra special."

"She says, like she planned this." Sweetie rolled her eyes, trying to help Saffron relax a little. "But she's right, this food is the best I've had in years."

Finally able to speak, Saffron bowed her head. "Thank you for the compliments. I came out because I'd heard that—that you both enjoy cuisine from our homeland."

"We do, and we both heard about your restaurant from different sources, and both were full of praise," Lyra said, nodding to Sweetie.

Wondering how the chef had gotten any information on her at all, Sweetie decided not to dig. "I was eating with my lieutenants a month ago and was surprised to learn that several of them had been to your restaurant and spoke highly of it. Knowing my wife's delight in all things food, I made an appointment and issued a letter of demands to several princesses stating my intention to be here tonight with her." She turned her eyes from Saffron to Lyra and, catching her wife's gaze, smiled with everything she had.

"Getting my marching orders from the only power in my life with more authority than a princess, I wound up talking to a friend about Canterlot restaurants, and she mentioned two of her friends stopped in here a while ago. She made me promise to get her something when I came." Looking up at Saffron, Lyra was almost proud to see so much joy on her face. "Next time I'm here, I'll bring her."

"You both— I mean, neither of you, need to book a reservation. Please, just call a day in advance and I will ensure there is a table free." Saffron was already on the lookout for larger premises. Between her bookings running out to weeks of wait time and now this—she made the decision that it would become a higher priority.

While they'd been talking, Sweetie had nodded to Coriander when he cleared off their dishes, but now he returned with two large glasses of fruit and ice cream that each had a little red substance in the bottom of them. There were some sliced nuts on top, also.

"This is your dessert tonight, falooda. It is a mix of silky noodles, vanilla bean ice cream, sabja seeds, with a rose-flavored gelatin. It is covered with chilled milk and pistachios." Sliding the drinks before the two, Coriander looked at his daughter with pride threatening to explode from him.

Her appetite returning, Lyra presented her best smile to Saffron and Coriander. "If you don't mind, I might take you up on that offer. Would it be okay if I bring some other friends along?"

With no idea who she'd be saying yes to, Saffron realized it didn't matter. Ponies coming in and enjoying her cooking was all that mattered. "It would be a pleasure to cook for them. You'll have to excuse me now, I need to finish off your other order."

Sweetie took a moment to look at Coriander. "Your daughter is a talented chef. Have you considered bigger premises and more staff?"

"When we came to Canterlot, it was her dream to have a cozy little restaurant where ponies could come and enjoy her food. At first, we had no customers because nopony would try her cooking. Now we have the opposite problem. If we don't move somewhere bigger, I fear this is how things will always be. Or, worse, customers will become tired of waiting for their tables and go elsewhere." It was a depressing thought, to be left behind like that, but Coriander pushed on. "We are looking for somewhere larger, but there's only so much room in Canterlot. Then there's also the cost." He hated mentioning that, but it was the truth.

"I guess you'd have to either close down for the time to change over, or rent both premises and pay ponies to prepare the new one while still operating here." Logistics and planning were one of the skills Sweetie had been forced to learn during her time working up the ranks in the Guard. "Have you considered taking on investors?"

Lyra could see where the conversation was leading, and she approved of it wholeheartedly. Years in the Guard had seen them both accrue sizable savings, and neither had a tendency to spend it on anything but the occasional meal together or gifts for friends.

"You have an offer?" Coriander asked.

"We'll pay for the rental, construction work, and license fees at the new place. You keep working here and move when you are ready. Pay back the money with a tab for us in the new premises." It did occur to Sweetie that they could probably eat Saffron's cooking every week for the rest of their lives and it wouldn't erase the debt, but she was fine with that. "I think we'd be getting the better part of the deal."

Taking a deep breath, Coriander said, "You make that a hard offer to refuse. I will talk to my daughter and we will have your answer tomorrow afternoon." He turned and walked off to serve another table, mind working in a million directions at once.

Nodding, Sweetie turned back to Lyra and smirked at her.

"Do we have that much money?" Lyra asked.

"I don't know. We could always ask our superiors for a raise to cover it. Maybe we could even ask an alicorn or two." Drinking her dessert, Sweetie got some of the noodles and ice cream and let out a happy little trill of delight.

"Oh, that reminds me. I need to make a note. Coriander recognized my horn and wings when he first saw me. It's an outlier for now, but it is an interesting one. So we get some free meals? I was thinking of bringing a few other friends here, but now it would be a better idea to bring them on the opening night at their new venue." Using her magic to summon some paper and a pencil, Lyra scribbled down some names as she drank.

"I'd have never thought to make a dessert with noodles, but this is delicious. They have soaked up the sweet cream and—" Closing her eyes, Sweetie decided to simply savor the dessert without further words. The final surprise was the red gelatin at the bottom, which was flavored like roses.

"I have to go back to work tomorrow. I managed to get the night and morning off." Lyra nodded toward the kitchen. "That's what the extras are going to do—bribe Twilight."

"Then, while I don't want to tell you to rush your dessert, Lyra, but please rush your dessert. We have business to attend when we get home." Staring at Lyra, hoping that her gaze backed up her words, Sweetie saw startled hunger looking back. "I'll get the check, you eat."





Trixie Lulamoon looked from Lyra Heartstrings to Tree Hugger, then back. "Are you sure?" She didn't want to seem ungrateful, but learning magic-deficient tricks from an earth pony seemed a little strange.

"I, like, totally get that our chakra don't vibe, but like, I can help with that." Tree held up her hoof and closed her eyes. "Relax, and let the peace flow through you."

Opening her mouth to complain again, Trixie froze where she stood. There was definitely magic being worked, but she couldn't sense a source. A calm and relaxing feeling flowed through her body, and a moment later she realized that Tree was making strange breathing noises.

"There. Our chakra are now in sublime synchronization and, like, with really mellow undertones. You dig?"

Trixie nodded slowly, not wanting to break the peaceful moment that had come over her. But, when Tree raised an eyebrow her way, she replied, "I feel a lot of magic, but I can't feel where you're getting it from."

"She's not, Trixie. That's why I thought she'd be the best trainer for this." Walking around Tree, Lyra widened her senses and clearly felt—nothing. "She is using the magic from within herself. It's subtle, it's delicate, and it doesn't require the world around you to have mana to work."

"Oh." Eyes wide in realization, Trixie nodded her head. "I'm willing to admit that you knew what you were talking about," she said to Lyra, and then turned to look Tree in the eyes. "Can you teach me how to do this?"

Fond of cool sounding sayings, Tree replied, "I can teach it, but can you learn it?"

Taking the lesson outside and finding a lovely oak tree to sit under, Tree Hugger arranged herself in a meditative pose. "There are three parts to chakra magic," she said, using Twilight's term for it only because it sounded better than her own gut magic. "The first is identifying your chakra. Sit down, close your eyes, and focus on your own body."

Dubious, despite the proof, Trixie nonetheless did as instructed. She closed her eyes and felt around her body, which mostly amounted to trying to feel what she could physically.

"No. Not that way. Like, use your inner eye," Tree said, not needing to look to tell what was going wrong. She reached out with her energy again and touched each of Trixie's chakra in sequence.

Struggling not to open her eyes in surprise, Trixie nodded slowly. She strained and reached, until finally she saw something within herself.

"That's your heart chakra. It's, like, the nexus of all your energy points. Can you see the big channels leading away from it?" Not needing to see Trixie's head bob with her eyes, Tree smiled. "Follow them. Tell me what you think each is for."

Drifting around, Trixie followed the first chakra connection upward, and found a new point of energy. This one, unlike the first, seemed far more structured and looked like it was designed more than had grown. "This is— This is my mind?"

"You don't need me to answer that. Prove it to yourself and, like, try to think of something difficult."

That wasn't a hard request. Trixie had been working on some new card tricks that she wanted to use in her show, and two of them weren't ironed out fully. The moment she pondered the first—that chakra glowed like the sun.

"Now, scooch back down to your heart chakra, and focus on a strong emotion." Tree didn't need to finish talking before she heard Trixie's gasp, and saw her heart chakra light up. "Now go down, tell me what you think that chakra is."

Following the path again, Trixie found a chakra that was already humming with activity. She looked at it from as many angles as she could, but it didn't change—until she opened her mouth to say she didn't know. It twitched, and more, it shifted a little as she closed and opened her mouth a few times. Testing more muscles, it flickered and danced like a flame as she flexed. "My body?"

"Righteous. Got it in one. You're a unicorn, so you have one chakra I don't. Try to find it."

That, Trixie thought, would have to be magic. As gently as she could, she summoned a little hint of light to her horn, focused on making it flash, then went looking.

She didn't find her magic chakra on her first pass, because Trixie realized she'd been thinking wrong. So far she had gone up and down and side to side (though she didn't know what the side chakra were), but apart from those core five, she didn't see anything new.

It was pure luck that made her think forward when examining her mind chakra. "My magic."

"You're a natural at this, trust me."

For Trixie, it would have been so easy to dismiss the comment if everything Tree Hugger had shown her was fake—but so far she was finding out new things about her body, mind, and magic. "What's next?"

"Next, I show you how to draw more magic in through your chakra, store it there, and use it." Tree didn't want to say it directly, but Trixie had picked up in only two hours what had taken Twilight months to do. "So…"

What surprised Trixie most, then, was how far the sun had moved across the sky. So much, she mused, for her card tricks.





"Uh, hello? Is anypony home?" Rolling Thunder had taken a chance. After being told by the Wonderbolts that she was too reckless, she'd done a lot of angry shouting, left Cloudsdale, then done some more angry shouting. Now, though, she'd gotten a letter from an old friend and had been curious enough to follow up on it.

"Yeah." Short Fuse, who'd been practicing his wing stretches in the living room, stood up and walked to the front door, opening it. "You got my letter?"

"Sure did. No clue why I'm here, but there was nothing else to do. How are ya?"

Getting hugged by a mare so much larger than him should have felt more condescending, but Short had gotten used to a lot of things, and his time in the Guard so far had showed him better ways to work out his anger. "Better. A lot better. Come inside."

Walking in and looking around, Rolling was more than a little surprised. "Whoa. This place is swank as shit. This really yours, mate?"

"Nope. This place is a friend's. She's kinda the reason I sent you the letter. After I heard you got kicked from the 'Bolts, I'd figure I'd try." Short led the way into the kitchen where he put the kettle on to make coffee.

"Oh no. Get drummed out by Spitfire 'erself?" Sitting down, Rolling thunder felt a twitch from the direction of the kettle, which made her aware of it being electric-driven instead of magic.

"That's the thing. I had an alicorn come and tell me. She offered me a job, with a caveat. I had to graduate from E.U.P. Guard training, and she'd let me do all the fancy flying I wanted—even teach me some Wonderbolt tricks." Having gotten used to making coffee doing daily KP in the Guard, because of his fighting, Short knew the routine well enough to prepare the machine that Lyra and Sweetie had in their home.

Staring at her friend for a moment, Rolling broke into gales of laughter. She couldn't stop herself, thinking of the likes of Celestia slumming it with the Wonderbolts. What stopped her, though, was Short didn't laugh with her. "You're shitting me?"

"So, the deal was, Princess Twilight Sparkle has herself her own guards. They're called the Friendship Guard, and their commander is Captain Lyra Heartstrings. That captain is an alicorn. She even tricked her way into the Wonderbolts for six months of training." Shaking his head as he remembered the story that he'd heard, Short heard the kettle start to whistle and turned it off. "Right now, there's two of them. Her and her daughter's coltfriend. She wants more ponies, particularly pegasi, so she made the deal with me and anyone else I could find."

"And you trust her? Hey, don't get your anger on with me, buddy, but you seemed to dive head-first into this." Taking her cup from Short, when he passed it over, Rolling added some sugar before sipping it, then adding a bunch more.

"Remember when I told you something did this to me? Stole my size, stole my color and future?" Short waited for Rolling to nod. "And I said there was a greenish pony with gold magic that saved me from worse?" Another nod. "She's a greenish pony with gold magic."

Settling back in the seat, Rolling sipped at her coffee. "This is pretty good, short stuff. Not your house, you said?"

"I would never spend as much as this stuff probably costs, but Lyra said I could use whatever I wanted. Well, you have a month of downtime to think about the offer. She said you can stay here, too. The Guard aren't waiting long before their next training, but it'll mostly be reservists getting certified." Sipping his own coffee, Short paused and looked at the cup. "This is excellent coffee."

"Gotten used to drinking the stuff, have ya?"

"The Guard runs on coffee," Short said, realizing a moment later that it was more of an in-joke than he thought. "That is, it gets ponies up and active, and the one thing everyone in the Guard does, is run. Oh! That reminds me, did you know there are other ponies that talk like you do—but with more swearing?"

"Pfft, yeah, right. Where are they from?"

"Another world. A place called Batstralia. Bat ponies, all of 'em, and they fight like monsters. It's great!" They had, in Short's estimation, fought about as hard as griffons, and he only knew that from personal experience. "Anyway, since you have a month, you can come and talk to Lyra yourself, if you want?"

"And let her use weird alicorn powers on me?" Rolling waved her hooves in the air as if using mind-magic needed that. "Sure, sounds like something to do, y'know?"

Laughing, Short nodded. "Okay then. I'll have to go put my gear on. Now you know this place, and I've introduced you, you get to stay here until your training starts." He downed his coffee in a swing, stood up, and walked down the hall to the armory room.

Carrying her coffee with her, not wanting to waste a good drink by gulping it down, Rolling stood in the doorway and raised an eyebrow. "Armor?"

"It's light stuff, and using any pegasus magic makes it basically weightless. You should see the stuff Lyra's wife wears. It weighs more than I do." His armor had been custom-made, as all Guard armor was, and even with his short and wide stature, it strapped in place and fit him like a glove. "You get used to it. One of the trainers said that after a few years, you'll notice more that you're not wearing it."

"I'm not sure my kind of flying would work with that." Holding her mug in her hoof, Rolling brought both her wings forward and played her primary feathers against each other like an instrument. Crackling electricity danced between them. "Seems like metal armor would be less than useful."

"Remember when I talked about the commander of this being an alicorn, and our boss being a princess? Come on, one of them can solve the problem. Probably make something that lets you do even more sparky-sparky stuff." Checking each strap, Short was satisfied his armor was on and fitted. He hadn't been joking, a touch of his magic and the armor weighed no more than a Wonderbolts' uniform. "Come on, let's race!"

Rushing back to wash her mug and set it in the drying rack beside the sink, Rolling met her friend at the front door and felt a buzzing energy building inside. She loved to race—and nothing brought out her competitive spirit more than having an old friend by her side. "C'mon! Let's go!"

Short let out a laugh and, together, they ran out and took to the sky. Pegasi, bat ponies, and griffons were all fun to fly with, but nothing compared to challenging himself and a good friend with stupid stunts and challenging shouts.

The choices, flying out of Canterlot, were to either go over the mountain or around it. There was no way they wouldn't do it the hard way. Pointing with a hoof, Short used a hint of his magic and shot up toward the peak of the mountain.

"That all ya got?" Rolling didn't want to admit that she was struggling to keep her speed up while they ascended. Part of her was already wondering if he was using stuff he'd learned in the Guard. With only the pair of them in the sky, though, she set her wingtips ablaze with witchfire and felt it shove her forward in a blast of speed that outpaced Short. "Come on! Give it some guts!"

Used to Rolling's weird turns of phrase, Short poured more and more magic on and shot forward to be neck-and-neck with her. "Like this?"

It was new to have Short keeping up. Normally, with her plasma boosting her speed, Rolling left him literally cursing her out in her dust. "Nice one, mate, but I'm just getting fired up!"

He knew it was coming. Part of him, though, thought the Wonderbolts were idiots for kicking her out of training. The dancing electric fire on Rolling's wings lit up brighter than the sun and she practically exploded up and over the mountain peak.

". . ." Giving chase as best he could, Short made it to the peak to find Rolling circling there, her wings crackling with electricity by lacking the plasma glow. "Showoff! You're still the fastest thing I've ever seen in the air."

"You know it. So what's the deal with this alicorn? She fast? You said she trained with the 'Bolts?" Gliding now, and with her superiority in straight line flying cemented still, Rolling was happy enough to relax and chat more.

"She's fast, yeah, but get this, she could fly before she got her wings. Crazy-good at teleporting. One of the unicorns I was friends with told me the training manual for them was written by her." It had been a shock to him to find that out too, and it had made him excited to meet up with her again.

"You"—Rolling did a lazy inversion before settling back into her glide—"are sweet on her!"

"What?!"

"It's bloody obvious. Just admit it, mate, you have it in for this mare. So, what'cha gonna do about it?" When she'd started ribbing him properly, though, Rolling noticed her friend looked tense. "Crap. She's taken?" He nodded. "Well, fuck."

"Don't worry about it. I figured out something that I was too stupid before to understand."

It was such an easy swerve that it had Rolling's curiosity piqued. "Yeah? Who is she?"

That got a laugh from Short. They were getting close to Ponyville now, and he adjusted their glide toward the front of the castle. "Well, here I was thinking about an old friend who I'd tried dating once, but let my ego ruin it.

"I'd been trying to shove all sorts of things in place of that, even thinking I had it for an alicorn. Then, out of the blue, that friend shows up and I see her and think, 'Damn, she's so amazing. I had to be an idiot to let anything get in the way of showing her how much she meant to me.'"

Rolling's jaw dropped open and she turned her head to stare at Short. "You—" Which is when she plowed into the ground in front of the Castle of Friendship.





"Are you okay? I think she's waking up now. Hey, you hit your head pretty hard, does it hurt anywhere?"

The female voice stirred Rolling Thunder from her happy nap she'd decided was needed instead of a safe landing. She let out a string of curses that she was sure would blister paint and possibly cause Short Fuse's armor to peel back.

With her mind turning to Short, something was tapping on the back of her head, demanding she needed to pay attention to it. Right now, though, her eyes opened. A mint green unicorn looked down at her. She looked over the mare some more and saw armor on her. "What happened?" The mare was grinning like an idiot at her. "The bloody Tartarus are you lookin' at?"

"A drongo who couldn't be arsed dodging the fuckin' ground." For Lyra, using the language of her original home—though in the pony tongue—was a delight. She grinned even wider at the shocked look on the mare's face. "Ya gettin' up, or you gonna lay there like a stunned mullet?"

It took Rolling a moment to process what she heard, then she laughed and took the offered wing. "Never thought I'd hear someone speakin' like that up this way. I'm—" Rolling's brain was trying to get her attention and she finally got at least one of the notes it was waving. "Shit. He's into me."

"Short? I figured he was. Was a bit worried he would follow me around like a puppy, but then I saw how much he was panicking about you after your crash." Hauling Rolling to her hooves from the bed, Lyra made sure she wasn't wobbling before gesturing to the door. "He's waiting outside."

"Thanks, uh… Where are we?"

"Castle of friendship, Ponyville. Were you hoping to be somewhere else?" The sigh from Rolling spoke volumes to Lyra. "You don't like him?"

"We dated for a while. He's sweet, but he gets angry and says stuff he doesn't mean. I—I know he can't help that, after that thing attacked him, but he wouldn't let himself get over it." Slumping her butt to the floor, Rolling closed her eyes a moment to take a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, Lyra had gotten closer. "Are you—?"

The other thing finally clicked. Rolling Thunder remembered waking up and looking at Lyra's horn, but Lyra had used a wing to help pull her upright. "Fuck. Should I bow or something?"

"Nah. He's only a corporal. Even a captain doesn't deserve a bow. Celestia? Salute her—when you learn how to salute correctly—and if you ever screw something up, you'll want to learn to bake." Watching Rolling get more and more annoyed, while the pegasus tried her best not to laugh, was worth the tangent. "Me?" A nod. "Nah. I haven't managed to work my head up my ass that far yet."

"What am I meant to say to him?"

"You still like him?" Lyra asked. Another nod. "Don't say anything. Walk out there and kiss him."

"What? I can't just—" Blinking in surprise, Rolling smirked. "I mean, I guess I can." That finally led to her standing up and snorting. "I will."

Stepping aside, Lyra managed to contain her glee only with the greatest effort of willpower. She watched as Rolling grabbed the door handle with a wing, tossed it open, and walked forward to where Short stood. He was staring at her, like a deer in headlights, unable to move before she got into his personal space and leaned down to him.

Watching Short's wings spring up in shock was too much for Lyra. She didn't want to break into a giggle lest it interrupt them, so she teleported into the next room and did it instead.

"Wha—? Lyra, what are you doing in here?" Spike asked. "Are you going to help me pack Twilight's things?"

"Oh, right. Sorry, Spike. I guess I can. What do you need packed?" Lyra still wanted to prance and laugh and giggle at how well her advice had worked. The last she'd seen of Short was his eyes closing.

"Books. I don't know why anyone would take books to a friendship retreat, but…" At present, Spike was trying to smoosh down the side of a huge suitcase that, when he didn't manage to, popped open to reveal it was literally full of books about friendship.

"Spike," Lyra said using her magic to levitate the books out. "The secret here is to pack it with something just as heavy with books, but that she'll actually need."

Tapping his chin in thought, Spike asked, "Snacks?"

"Snacks and bricks," Lyra replied, nodding.

Giggling, Spike looked around the room, which was one of the many studies in the castle, and frowned. "But where are snacks?"

"This is study Three A. That means…" Walking over to the bookshelf that lined one wall, Lyra found what she was looking for and tilted a book forward with her magic. A grinding sound caused her to fold her ears back as a whole bookshelf first pushed out toward her, then turned to one side and out of the way. "Okay, nothing that requires chilling, so we want cookies, cupcakes— When did Twilight get Tim Tams?! Doesn't matter; all of those. Chips. More cookies. Baklava. I think that will do, what about you, Spike? Spike?"

Staring at the cavernous insides of the magical stasis-fridge, Spike's eyes had widened to saucers at the bounty on display. "Wow."

Tapping the dragon on the shoulder, Lyra said, "Equestria to Spike. Equestria to Spike. Come in, Spike."

"How many of these—these treasure troves are there? Does every study have one?" Taking one step toward paradise, Spike reached out a hand to a fully iced cake that sat on a lower shelf.

"I'll tell you what. We're going to be gone for a bit. When I come home, I will restock this one for you, and it will be our little secret." Levitating the cake out, Lyra set it on the table nearby and summoned a plate for it. Next, she cut it into slices. "So ration yourself."

Holding his hand up in a fist, Spike got a hoof planted firmly on it. "You're awesome, Lyra. Thanks."

"No sweat. Just don't let Starlight or Trixie find it, okay?" Summoning a few bricks for the bottom of the case, Lyra zipped it up and carefully lifted it with her magic. "I need to sort out some pegasi that I hope have finished making up and out."

Stepping out of the study, Lyra saw that the first was definitely the case, though the latter was still in progress. Clearing her throat, she had the delight to see two blushing ponies snap apart and stare at her like she'd caught two foals necking for the first time. "Corporal, you are ready for the excursion to Manehatten?"

"Today?!" Trying his best not to look at Rolling, Short stared ahead like he'd been trained to, focusing all his attention on Lyra. "Sir, I am ready."

"Great to hear. You want to come too, Rolling? Get a feel for the job and how we work?"

Rolling was conflicted and confused. The former was her wanting to spend a little more time with Short. The latter was why she, specifically, was invited. "Won't you two be busy?"

"Twilight has already planned the itinerary to include four hours to escape from an Escape Room thing. I looked it up, and while she will be able to teleport everypony out, I think she would be upset by that. So, we'll have plenty of time to stand in front of a door and be absolutely bored out of our minds." Holding the case up, she resisted the urge to shake it. "I brought snacks."

"Holy shit, you can cook too?" Rolling stared at Lyra long enough to get a nod from her, then turned to Short. "And you picked me over her?!"

"Her horn's too long," Short said, relieved to see Lyra grinning at the gag. "And besides, she's spoken for. Still interested in the job?"

"It's becoming more tempting."

"So," Lyra said, turning in the hallway and making a follow me gesture with a wing, "What did the Wonderbolts bounce you for?"

It was a knot in Rolling's stomach she hadn't realized she still harbored. She grunted and slumped her shoulders. "I can't fly fast without using my talent."

"And with your talent?" Lyra asked.

"She's faster than me, faster than you, and probably faster than half the Wonderbolts." Short fell in beside Lyra, his shorter legs widening his gait a little to match her pace.

"Really? You know I gotta see this. I don't care if you need to burn your magic up, if you can do your one thing better than anypony else." Trotting down the long hall, Lyra carefully set the case down at the doorway and opened the front doors.

Fluttershy was sitting by the door. She'd been waiting for somepony to open it, mostly because she didn't want to intrude and, since they would all be going to the train station anyway, was content to wait. "Oh, um, hello Lyra. I-Is Twilight in?"

"She is, Fluttershy, but she's Twilighting about the trip. Don't tell her, but I replaced a whole suitcase full of books she wanted to bring with cakes." Nodding back to the case, Lyra saw as her new recruit and potential recruit followed her. "You'll have to excuse us, I'm getting a flight demonstration."

Hearing that Twilight wouldn't be able to bring enough books to make a librarian blush helped Fluttershy to relax a little. She barely picked up on the idea of a demonstration, but asked, "Oh?" for some clarification.

"Rolling Thunder has shown an interest in joining the Friendship Guard, and though she's already shown the first two requirements in good quantity, I want to see what her special talent can do." Nodding to Rolling, Lyra moved herself to half shield Fluttershy from whatever crazy takeoff she expected Rolling to do.

The moment Rolling shot into the sky—leaving a crackling fizz of electricity behind in her wake—Fluttershy realized and greatly appreciated why Lyra had moved to stand before her. It made her blush, but she also felt a swelling in her heart to know that Lyra thought of her. "Th-Thanks," she said, softly.

Head tilted up, Lyra watched the lightning show as Rolling sped across the sky. She focused on not just the visible effects but also on the magic that thrummed around each feather. "You're welcome. I figured she was going to do something impressive to show off and, given her name and cutie mark, it was going to be dangerous to anypony who can't deal with electricity."

"I can deal with it, if I have a little warning first." Able to feel herself getting flustered, Fluttershy turned her head up and watched Rolling speed across the sky like a literal bolt of lightning. "That's not the normal use for lightning…"

"It sure isn't." Short was already love-struck by the forward way that Rolling had acted, but now he was in full announcer mode. "She was kicked out of the Wonderbolts training for a 'flagrant disregard for hazardous weather'. What she was actually doing was this—flying faster than any pony I've ever seen."

Lyra couldn't help it, she whistled in impressed surprise. Rolling wasn't, though, the fastest pegasus she'd ever seen. Rainbow Dash was something else again, but for the life of her she couldn't think of another that would have as much straight-line speed as Rolling Thunder showed. "I can see why she wouldn't fit in the 'Bolts. Their formation flying has no room for this. How long can she keep it up?"

"On a clear day? She can manage this for about twenty minutes. If there's a chance to cook up some stormy weather first, though, she can go faster and never tire. Give her something truly nasty, and I doubt there's a creature alive that can keep up with her." Short Fuse was comfortable saying that because he had seen her dancing in a storm. "The only problem with her is, she can't wear metal. Or, at least, she can't wear metal that isn't magically made to not interfere with her electricity."

"If she can get through Guard training, I'll make sure she gets whatever armor she needs." Watching Rolling zip around the sky, Lyra identified the exact moment when the mare lost a little of her stamina. "She's slowing. Is she going to—"

Rolling, after the race earlier against Short, didn't realize how low on energy she was until her everything felt heavy—too heavy to stay in the sky. She faltered, but her wings felt like lead. Falling, she noticed a flash of gold on the ground and then somepony was falling beside her.

Reaching out and grabbing Rolling with her hooves, Lyra hugged her tight and then judged her teleport for her next, parabolic upward flight. At the moment of apogee, she did her third and set Rolling on the ground beside where she'd started. "Are you okay?"

A little dizzy from the teleportations and magic drain, Rolling nodded. "I race Short against my guess me out took of more thought I than." As soon as she said it, she shook her head and tried again. "I raced Short to the top of the mountain earlier. He's faster than he used to be."

"Hope he is. Otherwise, all that training wasn't as useful as I'd hoped." Making sure Rolling could stand on her own hooves, Lyra could feel a looming, angry pony approaching.

"What the heck was that?!" Short asked. "Why didn't you fly up and catch her?!"

"For a lot of reasons, but mostly because the way I did it meant I could match our velocity and then slow her down without hurting her or me." Hearing Twilight approaching the front door of the castle, Lyra nodded to Short. "Attention, corporal. Our reason for being here is arriving."

Stumbling out the castle doors, her hair frazzled and one eye twitching, Twilight noticed she had a timid pegasus, a wobbly pegasus, and an armored pegasus more than she expected to be present. Using her magic to smooth her mane as best she could, Twilight centered herself using one of Tree Hugger's calming rituals, and then gave Lyra a nod and approached Fluttershy. "Hi, Fluttershy."

"Are you okay, Twilight? If you've got something you need to attend to, we can go another time." Torn between making sure Rolling and Twilight were okay, Fluttershy could see that the former was standing and moving fine, and settled on Twilight as the target of her worry.

"Lyra, if you don't stop saluting I'm going to leave you in Trixie's care until we return." Focusing on Fluttershy, Twilight lifted the case at the doorway, judged that it had a good supply of books within, and gave her friend her biggest smile. "What's say we go and wait at the station?"

Leaving off her ribbing of Twilight, Lyra made sure Rolling was okay. "You can come with us or hang around here until you feel up to flying back to Canterlot. I can even suggest training to build your magic stamina." Lyra collected the suitcase with her magic, giving Twilight time to chat with Fluttershy.

"But I'm a pegasus," Rolling said.

"That doesn't mean you can't build that part of you that carries your magic into something stronger. The source of your magic is like any other muscle. You can get exercises to build it up in both strength and stamina. And don't worry, Short is going to be doing the same thing." Lyra didn't say that she had only been working on the training methods herself for several weeks. "You up for it?"

"Is this some special Wonderbolts training that you are going to share?"

Lyra snorted and shook her head. "Nah. This is something I came up with about three weeks ago when I realized I was leaning too much on my unicorn magic and not enough on pegasi."

Rolling, feeling better about walking now, asked, "So we're your first tests of it?"

"I tried it myself, first. It works, but how well it works for other ponies is what I need to find out. Also, I'd like to refine it and write it into a training manual for the Guard."

"When Short said you wrote the book on unicorn training, I thought he was being figurative—not that you had written a book on training unicorns." Shrugging her wings, though, Rolling figured that it couldn't hurt to try whatever Lyra had planned before going into the Guard training. "Nah, yeah. I'll give it a shot."

"Five," Lyra said. At Rolling's raised eyebrow, Lyra added, "I've written five training guides for the Guard. One for general, spell-casting unicorn types. One for advanced, learn to modify their spells on the fly, ponies. A third one is for unicorns who cannot cast any but the most basic of spells—but have a powerful ability that can be used to make up for it. I rewrote the book on mana training, and have a guide on memorizing spells using simpler techniques."

Alarm bells sounded at that. Rolling wasn't an idiot by any stretch, but she knew that academics wasn't her strong point. "I don't have to read those, do I?"

"Nope. I'll probably get you to read through the pegasus one I'm working on, but I promise it won't be technical. I write them so Guard sergeants can read them, after all." When her joke didn't land, Lyra groaned. "You'll see what I mean. I served my term as a Sergeant, got to do a lot of quality shouting, but cadets tend to see them as a bossy know-it-all."

"That's my only worry about joining. All that commands stuff is a bit…" Holding out her wing, Rolling wobbled it a bit. "… Yeah. But, I would have said Short wouldn't have been able to put up with that, either."

"Second thoughts?" Lyra asked. She'd noticed Short was hanging back at Twilight's side. Given the report she'd read on his (eventually) sanctioned brawling in training, she judged him perfectly placed to deal with any actual threats to her person. "It's okay if you do. It'd be a shame to lose you, but I understand it's not something everypony wants."

Almost at the train station, Rolling shook her head. "Nah. I'll give anything a shot once. You never know what works until you try, right?"

Setting the case down, Lyra nodded and rolled her shoulders. "That's a good attitude. Train should be here in a few minutes."