“Little brother, we need to find you a mare.”

“No, thank you.” I grunted. “I need time to get over my feelings for Starfall before I can even begin to contemplate a new relationship.” I picked up my tea cup and sipped from it. I set down the cup, and shot my sister a glare as sharp as her kirpan. “This is all your fault, you know?”

‘Chestra rolled her eyes. “Yeah. It’s my fault for setting you up with a mare whom you dated happily for a year.” She gazed at me flatly. “If you liked her you should have proposed. Or at the very least not have been such a jerk. It’s not my fault you’re an idiot.” Orchestra finished her indictment of me by taking a large bite of her mushroom burger, and spilling ketchup on her uniform.

“You are dripping by the way.”

“Huh?” She looked down, and her eyes bulged. “Oh, horseapples!” She dropped her mushroom burger back onto her plate, and replaced it with a hoofful of napkins. She vigorously wiped at the ketchup until not a trace of a stain remained.

“Phew.” She leaned back in her chair with her legs draped over the edges. “I have an inspection in two days. Sarge would ha—hey, what’s wrong?”

She must have noticed my frown. I roughly shook my head. “There is nothing wrong.” Yes, there was. I was going to miss her. My sister and I rarely saw each other now that she was in the CDF. She would be staying here in Haven tonight while I returned to our old and empty house. It was just so quiet without ‘Chestra.

She put her hoof on mine and smiled. “I miss you too, Symphony. Every day.” Her smile turned into a grin as she added, “Which is exactly why we need to find you a mare before I go. Who knows what kind of trouble you’ll get into without me to look after you?”

“I could say the same for you. Without me that ketchup would have stained by now.”

Her lips twitched briefly, and I heard her mutter something about her “smartass brother.” I replied by smugly sipping my tea.

“Would you like a refill on that, sir?”

A pretty, young, earth pony mare stood beside our table. She was balancing a tray with a pitcher of black tea on her rump. I could only hope it also contained honey.

“Yes, please. Thank you.”

“Of course!” she grabbed the pitcher with her mouth, and poured my cup to the brim with black tea.

I inhaled, and took in the sweet scent of honey. This was going to be divine.

She placed the pitcher back onto the tray, and looked at Orchestra. “Ma’am, may I get you anything else?”

The left half of Orchestra’s face scrunched up. “No. Thank you.”

“Okay then. Just let me know if you need anything else.”

As the waitress trotted to another table, I noticed ‘Chestra’s eyes following her. Though I could not tell if I were seeing lust or wrath in her gaze.

“She is quite cute,” I muttered.

My sister’s gaze returned on me. Wrath. Definitely wrath. “You’re not honestly interested in her kind are you?” she whispered aggressively.

“Her kind?” Since when did Orchestra have a problem with earth ponies?

“Keep your voice down,” she shot back. She glanced around the café, but nopony else was paying attention to us. She leaned in closer, and motioned for me follow suit. Once I had she whispered back, “Non-crystal ponies.”

Non-crystal ponies? She had not started listening to that bigot Nero, had she? “Yes, ‘Chestra, because non-crystals are a scourge upon us all.” It took all my effort to not roll my eyes.

“But they are.” She spat her words like venom. “I’ve been listening to High Priest Nero a lot lately an—Don’t you roll your eyes at me.”

I snorted, and took another sip of tea. Orchestra immediately took to defending Nero, but I paid her no mind. I had no desire to hear praise for a madpony. Besides, there was something far more entrancing to listen to.

There was music in the air. A ludic melody played on strings. Likely a lyre. It was not a tune I recognized, but I still found myself humming along. I even began drumming my hooves against the table.

Orchestra slapped me hard. “The least you could do is pay attention when I’m talking to you.”

I massaged my cheek, and glared back. I could admit to being a tad rude. Did that really justify such violent behavior, though? Honestly, what were they teaching her at boot camp?

“Sor—”

I stopped speaking because there were no more words. It was as if I had lost my ability to speak. The music had been gradually getting closer, and now I knew why. A unicorn mare cantered down the street with a golden lyre levitating beside her. She was clothed in a striking red dress, with streaks of gold and green around her shoulders; she also had a light orange shawl that trailed behind her as she passed. She twirled once, and I noticed she was wearing an emerald pendant around her neck and a gold earring.

It was then that I saw her eyes. Each eye resembled a topaz that had been dipped in sunlight. Try as I might, I could not tear my eyes away from the performing unicorn. I knew it was wrong for a stallion of Cadance to stare at a mare, but this was different. I found her to be beautiful in a tasteful way.

For a brief moment our eyes met. It was brief because I immediately averted my eyes. She caught me leering at her! Er, leering was not quite the right word given my lack of lust. Still, I felt I should be embarrassed. All the more so because I wanted to gaze upon her again. I looked back at the mare. I received a smile and wave in return.

I tried to smile back. The key word being tried. I felt my lips contorting, but the end result did not feel like a smile. Perfect. She likely thought I was making faces at her. Any latent courage I may have had was gone at that point.

Hearing my sister’s sigh returned me to our current conversation. Her front hooves were crossed and tapping against the table. Aside from her tapping, there was complete silence between us. There was a mixture of irritation and anger in her eyes. I could feel the apprehension in mine. A scolding was on the horizon. Or, perhaps not. Instead of berating me for not paying attention, Orchestra’s eyes softened and she grinned at me.

“Is she pretty?”

I nodded. I found the words beautiful and ravishing to be more applicable. But, yes, she was pretty.

Orchestra tilted her head in the mare’s direction, but did not turn back to look at her. That was probably for the best given the mare’s lack of crystalline features. “Go get her, little brother. If she’s pretty enough I might even forgive you for being so rude earlier.”

Sounded like a good plan to me. I needed to compose myself first. The last thing I wanted was to start blubbering like an idiot. I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath, and had a long sip of my tea. When I opened my eyes, I saw my sister’s slightly irritated expression.

“Well?” she asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“Worry not, ‘Chestra. I will see if she has a sister.”

The irritation on her face was immediately replaced with embarrassment. Her golden complexion had taken on a few shades of pink. Particularly around her cheeks. This was my cue to leave. I did not want her to come back to her senses, and be mad at me again. I quickly made my way out of the cafe and into the street.

The mare danced through the street with her lyre beside her. Ponies on all sides stomped and whistled as she passed by. Many of the onlookers threw bits and flowers in the dancing mare’s wake. I could not help but notice most of them were stallions. A few mares had joined in, but most mares looked on with disgust and envy in their eyes.

The mare would sporadically turn and blow kisses to the crowd. During one such moment, our eyes met. I knew it was all part of the show, but I felt as if that kiss was for me and me alone. As a result, I completely lost my composure. My body felt hot, and I found myself adjusting my collar. Beads of sweat cascaded down my face. There was so much sweat even my mane was becoming drenched. I had no chance at all. This mare was beautiful and popular. I, on the other hoof, doubted my ability to form a coherent sentence.

I turned away from the beautiful mare. I had better things to do than make a fool of myself. Spending time with my sister, for example, was a far better option. At least it was until I saw my sister frowning back at me from the window.

“Well?” she mouthed.

“Well, what?” I returned.

She sighed loudly, and shook her head at me.

I had a feeling I knew where this was going. If I stayed with Orchestra without trying, then she would never let me live down my cowardice. If I were rebuked by the dancing mare, my sister’s tongue would be comforting rather than stinging. My decision came down to one simple question. Whose words would sting more: a beautiful stranger’s or my sister’s?

Was there ever any doubt?

I turned back towards the mare, and broke into a full gallop. I paid no attention to where my hooves where stepping, and felt the prick of thorns. Still, I kept running. I heard ponies shouting at me. Others pelted me with fruit. Clearly suitors were not encouraged.

The mare turned around, and stopped playing. She watched me approach with an unreadable expression. Which, of course, was better than outright disdain. I skidded to a stop in front of her and…-I froze. I had been so caught up in avoiding Orchestra’s displeasure I had neglected to form a plan. I started sweating again. Come on, Symphony, you can do this. Start by introducing yourself.

“Ma’am.” My voice cracked, and I quickly cleared my throat. I heard malicious chuckles around me, but I pressed on. “Ma’am,” I repeated in my usual baritone. I placed one hoof over my heart and bowed to her. “May I just…”

When I raised my head, I saw her smiling at me. Mischief twinkled in her eyes as she asked, “May you just what?”

I was at a loss for words again. What did I want to say? Should I compliment her? On what? “I… I, er, um… I…” Phenomenal diction, Symphony.

“Yes?” she asked. She took a step closer, and touched hooves with me.

“I…” It was then I noticed her lyre hovering just off the ground. Now I knew what I wanted to say. “May I just say that the only thing here lovelier than you is your music. And I would love to hear you play it for me sometime.”

She gasped, and stepped away from me. “You’re asking me for a private performance? And we’ve only just met!” She narrowed her eyes at me, and disdainfully turned her head. “What kind of mare do you take me for, sir?”

“That is not what I meant. I only—”

I was silenced when she touched her hoof to my lips. The mischief in her eyes had spread to her smile. “I know what you mean; I’m only teasing. You’re going to have to get used to that if you want to be my beau.”

“I never said that was my intention, Miss…”

“Lyra.” She extended her hoof. “Lyra Heartstrings XIII.”

I took her hoof. “Symphony. Now, Miss Heartstrings—”

“Just Lyra, please.

“Very well, just Lyra.” To my delight, and surprise, she chuckled at my terrible joke. “I am afraid I do not know you well enough, or frankly at all, to say I intend on you becoming my paramour. But I am sincere when I say I find you to be a beautiful mare, and an even more beautiful musician.”

She rolled her eyes, and scoffed. “Sure, Symphony, that’s what they all say.”

Before I could attempt to convince her of my intentions, I recognized the mischief in her eyes. She truly was a teaser. I did not know if I would be able to deal with that. I was honestly interested in her music, but perhaps it would not be worth getting involved with such a mare.

Lyra craned her neck, and kissed me on the cheek. “If you’d like to get to know me better, then take me to dinner Friday night.” She cocked her head towards the café I had just exited. “I’m friends with the owner, so it’s on the house. All you have to do is show up around eight.”

“Sounds eigh—er, great. Sounds great.”

She half-smiled and half-grinned at me as she stepped away. “I’ll see you then, Symphony.” She blew me a kiss, and continued her parade through the streets.

Around me ponies were shouting. I could not tell if they were compliments directed at her or insults directed at me. I was only faintly aware of being pelted by more fruit. Only two thoughts filled my head in that moment. One, I had landed a date with the single most beautiful musician in all of Haven. Two, she had a tremendous backside.

I was there at seven forty-five. The last thing I wanted was to be late and give the impression I was not interested. I might have told her I was not yet interested in being her beau, but I had changed my mind. Mostly because Lyra had been my mind the past few days.

Her face continued to find its way into my mind, and she had been a frequent visitor in my dreams for the past three nights. The dreams had been wholesome, of course. One such dream had been the two of us spending the night together walking and talking. It had been a literal dream date. I had told that to Orchestra, but she only rolled her eyes at my joke. Some ponies had no sense of humor.

I started to pace in a circle. I was sweating again; I found I did that frequently whenever Lyra was on my mind. I wanted to make a good impression on her, but I was unsure of what I should do. Good Goddess, I was unsure of how to even greet her. I could be coy and pretend to be surprised to see her. I could be an immediate gentlecolt, and express my gratitude at her coming. There was also the option of not treating our encounter as a date and treat this as a rendezvous with a friend.

But what if she did not show up? There was a distinct possibility I would return home with my hopes crushed and my heart broken. Or she could show up and I would be unable to function. I was barely able to speak when I was around her last time. She could be so thoroughly unimpressed with my inability to communicate the date could be over in less than a minute.

Now I was unsure of what I was more nervous of: her showing up or not at all.

“You’re early.”

I turned around and there she was. She wore a simple sky-blue dress with dark blue and green trimmings. Instead of the large gold earrings, white studs adorned her ears. She curtsied for me, and I returned it with a bow. She chuckled, and held out a hoof for me.

I took her hoof, and kissed it. “Tis the early bird that gets the worm.”

“Oh, so that’s what I am to you?” She lowered her gaze. “Just a lowly dirty worm?”

“No. All I meant was…” I stopped when I noticed her grinning at me. Right, she had warned me of her teasing tendencies.

“I’m only teasing you.” She locked hooves with me. “Shall we?”

“We shall.”

The two of us entered the establishment and I immediately noticed how empty it was. There was not a single patron at the café. I noticed a few employees standing around chatting. However, once they noticed us the chatting stopped. Most of them disappeared, I assumed to take their places in the kitchen, leaving only the waitress who waited upon Orchestra and me the other day.

“Good evening. My name i—”

“Enough with the crap, Honeydrop. Do you still have that bottle of Spike?”

“The dragon whiskey? Are you sure? It’s a little strong?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Give us two glasses and leave the bottle.” Lyra grinned at me. “How does a little whiskey sound to you, Symphony?”

“Personally, I would rather have a glass of water.”

Her grin faded into a slight scowl. “Not a drinker, huh?” She sighed. “Never mind then. Two waters and an order of braised apricots.”

“With the mango puree?”

Lyra’s eyes rolled back, and she let out a soft moan. “Sweet Goddess above, yes!” She glanced at me with a wary expression. “You’re not allergic to mangos or anything are you?”

“Not at all.”

Lyra pointed at the waitress and winked. “Mango puree it is!”

The waitress nodded. “There’s already some water on the table, and I’ll bring the food right over. Enjoy your date, Lyra” She flicked her eyes towards me and looked me up and down. “Or somepony else will.”

I felt the sweats starting up again. It certainly did not help that the waitress was quite cute. I also noticed Lyra’s eyes twinkling in my peripheral vision. She slid a hoof around my neck, and pulled me close to her. “Don’t get any ideas, Honeydrop. This hunk of a stallion is all mine for the night.” Her lips snaked into a sly grin. “Maybe a few more nights to come.”

Honeydrop shook her head with a sigh. “Have fun, you two.” She smiled politely at me, before trotting to the backroom.

Lyra led me to a table by the window. A candelabra stood on the windowsill with five lit candles. The table was covered with a pristine white tablecloth, a small vase with flowers, and two tall glasses of water. I approached the chair closest to us, and pulled it out for Lyra.

“Handsome and well-mannered. I think I found a keeper.”

“You do not seem so bad yourself.” I sounded significantly more confident than I felt. But that was a good illusion to keep up. I took my seat across from her, and started talking before I could get too flustered. “Tell me about yourself. Why did you become a musician?”

“Family tradition. My mom played the lyre, and her mother before her, and….” She waved her hoof in a circle. I assumed she was trying to insinuate the tradition continued for many more generations. Given her name, I assumed the number to be around thirteen. “And what about you, Symphony? What do you do?”

“I sing.”

“Oh really?” Lyra leaned forward with a gleam in her eye. “Would you sing something for me?”

I hesitated before answering. I had no qualms about performing, but the way she looked at me gave me pause. It also caused me to sweat a little more. Still, I did not want to deny her request. After hearing her perform, singing would be the least I could do.

I took a deep breath, and began to sing. “Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my jo. For auld lang syne. We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne.”

She clopped her hooves together the instant I had finished. She scooted away from the table, and stood on her back legs. “Brava!”

I smiled awkwardly as the blood rushed to my cheeks. “You flatter me, Miss Heartstrings.”

Her eyes rolled, and she sat back down. “Don’t call me that. This is a date, not a business meeting. Just Lyra.” She paused, and she waved a hoof at me. “And don’t call me, ‘Just Lyra’ either. It was funny the first time, but a joke is never as funny the second time.”

“Then Lyra it is and ever shall be.”

“Ever shall be? But that leaves no room for nicknames. Like snuggle-wuffikins. Or cum-bucket.”

I picked the worst possible time to start drinking my water. I spat it out, and began coughing. Both Lyra and the candelabra were in the splash zone. The candles were doused, while Lyra was only slightly dampened.

She rubbed her face, and flicked the water off her hoof. “Seems you’re already wanting to get me wet.”

I rolled my eyes. I knew she was trying to make me blush, but this attempt was not as good as her others. I ignored her comment, and took the conversation down a different path. “You said music has been a family tradition. Did your mother teach you to play?”

She shook her head. “Nope. She was too busy sleeping with the highest bidder to pay me any attention.” She took a sip of her water. “After she died, I picked up her lyre and just started playing. I was terrible at first.”

“That she was!” a voice called from behind me.

“Nopony asked you, Brick Oven!” Despite her harsh tone she was chuckling. “It took me a few years, but I learned to be good enough to make a living. Brick Oven took me in when I sucked, so I still try to support him whenever I can.”

“Yes. I can imagine giving us a private and free evening is doing wonders for his business.”

Her eyes gleamed at me. “You snarky little bitch.” She took another sip of her water. This sip was much longer than the other, and she did not take her eyes off of me for a moment while drinking. “I think you and I are gonna get along just fine.”

“Here you are. Braised apricots with mango puree.”

Honeydrop presented us with a long plate. On the plate sat seven apricots. Each was drizzled with sugar, ginger, and a touch of saffron. At the end of the plate was a sauce bowl. A creamy golden substance lay within the confines of the bowl. It looked closer to a painting than a fruit based pulp. The whole meal was almost too beautiful to eat. It was as if the Holy Mother herself had blessed this meal.

“Is there anything else I can get for you two?”

“Maybe some privacy,” Lyra stated with a wink.

Honeydrop sighed. “Fine, but I expect to hear all about it later.”

“Trust me, you will.” Lyra gave me an apologetic smile once Honeydrop had disappeared. “Sorry, but Honeydrop is almost like a sister to me. She’ll kill me if I don’t tell her everything.”

I shrugged. “By all means. I suspect my sister will want a report from me as well.”

Lyra rubbed her hooves together, and ran her tongue across her lips. “I would love to ask you about your sister, but I’ve got to take a bite first. Ooh, this is going to taste so good.”

“Do you mind if I pray over this first?”

Lyra raised an eyebrow at me, and shrugged. “By all means.” She folded her front hooves together and closed her eyes.

I did the same. “Holy Mother, we thank you for this day and for the time you have given us to share with each other. I pray that you will take this food and bless it to our bodies. I thank you for the owner and staff of this establishment for accommodating us, and pray that you will bless them. And I pray that you will watch over Lyra, and she will know your voice when you speak to her. In your holy name I pray, amen.”

“Amen.”

There was a noticeable lack of enthusiasm in Lyra’s “amen.” It came off as more of a grunt than a legitimate word. When I opened my eyes, I noticed a listless expression in her eyes. Given how she looked quite excited about her mango puree before my prayer, I took it she was not fond of my action. “I gather you are not a believer.”

“That’s a vague statement.” She lifted a fork with her magic, and stabbed it into one of the apricots. She placed the apricot into the mango puree and spun it around until the apricot was fully coated in mashed mango. “I’m a believer in a great many things. I believe the sky is generally blue. I believe that Equestria was once a thriving country before the war. And I believe that this apricot is going to be delicious.” She punctuated her statement by biting the apricot off the fork. Her face instantly relaxed into a look of pure bliss. She swallowed, and smiled at me. “Looks like I was right.”

“Then allow me to rephrase. I gather you are not a believer in the Holy Mother?” I followed Lyra’s lead, and swirled an apricot in the puree before taking a bite. It turned out she was right. This combination was simply divine.

Lyra set down her fork, and looked me in the eye. “I’ll be straight with you, Symphony, I’m not a believer in the concept of a Goddess. It just doesn’t sit right with me.”

“It does not sit right with you? May I inquire as to why not?”

She pointed with her hoof. I looked to where she was pointing and saw Honeydrop cleaning a table at the far end of the café. “Honeydrop is one of the sweetest mares I’ve ever met in my life. I’ve never heard her say a bad word about anypony, she always works hard, and has one of the most pure smiles I’ve ever seen. In short, she’s the type of pony who should be getting blessings from a goddess.

“But instead, she spent the past four years of her life trying to support her drunken and abusive father. A father, who I might add, regularly went to church. And no matter how bruised or broken his daughter looked, not a single pony tried to help her. So you tell me, Symphony, where’s the Goddess in that?”

I took a long drink of my water before I responded. “It is not my place to question how the Holy Mother works.” Lyra scoffed and rolled her eyes, but I continued. “However, while I do not believe it is the Holy Mother’s place to intervene in the lives of us mortals that does not provide an excuse to the ponies in the congregation for not helping.”

“So you don’t think the so-called Goddess is responsible for all the fucked up shit that happens in the world?”

“No. I do not.”

An intense silence befell the two of us. I was unsure of what to say, so I ate another apricot. I did not take my eyes off of Lyra as I chewed on the apricot. She stared back with an unreadable expression. The two of dined quietly until she finally sliced through the silence.

“This isn’t going to work, is it?”

I was in the process of eating another apricot, so I simply raised my eyebrow to inquire further.

“You and I. I can tell your religion is very important to you, and my lack of religion is important to me as well. I don’t know if that’s something we’ll be able to overcome.” She stood up, and curtsied. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Symphony. May the light of the Crystal Heart guide you on your path.”

As she began to trot away I began to ponder what she had said. Yes, my faith in Cadance was important to me. It was as essential to my being as being as my voice; I could not imagine my life without it. I had never once dated a pony without faith, nor could I recollect having many non-believing friends either. But that did not mean I had to live my entire life without having non-believing friends. The only question was if there was something Lyra and I could bond over despite our religious differences.

I began to hum. It was a classical tune and one of my personal favorites: Bolero. My initial interest in Lyra had come from her music. If there was anything the two of us could start a bond over, music would have been it. I turned around, and noticed she had stopped walking away. She was facing me with a smile on her face. I had her attention at the very least. I could work with that.

I continued to hum as I approached her. I bowed to her, and extended my hoof. She took my hoof, and the two of us began dancing. My humming was performed in crescendo, and the more intense the humming the more intense our dancing became. I twirled Lyra, dipped her, and lifted her. Those tango classes were surprisingly paying off.

I was sweating by the time I reached the end of the song. Lyra was breathing heavily as well with her body was pressed up against mine. I could feel a deep warmth in that moment. Whether it was from her body heat or an internal feeling I could not be sure. Though I was certain of one thing; I liked this feeling.

Lyra cleared her throat and backed away with me. “That was fun. Not the type of dancing I’m used to, but I had fun.”

“Really? Then perhaps you can show me some of your preferred dancing on our next date?”

“Our next date? Isn’t that a bit presumptuous there, Symphony? After all, I nearly walked out on you.”

“And yet here you are.”

She opened her mouth, but quickly closed it. She nodded to herself, and grinned at me. “Well played.”

I chuckled, and kissed her hoof. “I do believe it is getting quite late, Lyra, so I must take my leave. Does this Sunday afternoon sound like a good time to meet again?”

“I thought you had church.”

I shrugged. “I doubt the Holy Mother will be too upset if I skip one service.”

Lyra chuckled. “I’m corrupting you already. I’ll have you denouncing her name before too long.”

My gaze hardened for a second. “Let us not get too carried away.”

She threw up her hooves. “Ease up there, big guy. I’m just making a joke.” She sighed when my gaze did not change. “Okay, I’ll admit that wasn’t a particularly funny joke. But we’re gonna have to get you to relax. I’m a teaser, and I’m not budging on that.”

Hmmm. Teasing had never been one of my favorite traits in a mare. It seemed there were fundamental differences between us, but there would always be fundamental differences between mares and stallions. Yet relationships were still able to bloom and flourish. Lyra may not be the perfect mare for me, and it was entirely possible we would be sick of each other by date number two. But as for now, I liked her. For a first date, I would say that was enough.

It had been six months since my first date with Lyra. It had taken awhile, but I was no longer sweaty when I was around her. If anything, I was slightly annoyed. Both of us were right about her teasing. She never stopped, and I was still not used to it. I could deal with it, though, if it meant being able to spend time with her.

“So, how do I look?”

She was standing on her back legs, while her front legs were draped seductively around her body. She wore a tight scarlet dress with a pearl necklace. She fluttered her eyes at me, which she had accentuated with jet black eye shadow. Her lips had received a fresh coat of lipstick, and were tantalizingly pursed.

How did she look? I could hardly begin to fathom a series of words which could adequately describe how she looked. But I was a stallion of Cadance. It did not matter how attractive a mare appeared; she was still a pony and deserved to be respected as such. Even if I did want nothing more than to take her clothes off.

“You look good.”

“Just good?” Her body slumped, and she put her front legs on the ground. “I thought I was at least beautiful. If not ravishing. Do you not like me anymore, Symphony? Do you no longer think I’m beautiful?”

Good Goddess above. “I think you are absolutely gorgeous, Lyra.”

“Then why didn’t you say so?” She approached me with a deceptively sad expression. “I’m your marefriend, aren’t I? And you told me I was beautiful when we first met. So why not now?”

“Does there need to be a reason? I simply thought saying you looked good would be sufficient.”

“No, that’s not it. You’re much more eloquent than that. You’d normally tell me exactly what you were thinking unless.…” A knowing smirk appeared on her face. “Oh, I get it. You don’t want to tell me exactly what you’re thinking because you want to fuck me.”

I coughed, and turned away from her. I was not having this conversation.

“No way. That is what you’re thinking. Aww, Symphony wants to plow me. That’s adorable.”

I groaned, and tried to ignore the heat I felt in my cheeks. This was going to be a long walk to the Gala.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The doors to the Crystal Palace swung open. My first instinct was to gasp in awe. The floor had been polished until every visible inch sparkled. I assumed the parts of the floor veiled by carpet sparkled as well. I stepped onto the carpet and felt waves of comfort rippling through my coat. This was definitely velvet. I was actually walking on velvet. In the Crystal Palace!

I felt a surge of pity for my sister. As a soldier in the CDF, she had received two tickets to attend the Grand Galloping Gala tonight as a thank you for her service. I was originally going as her plus one since I had wanted to go and she refused to take Joab as a date. Unfortunately for Orchestra, she was stationed at Camp Jubilee a week before the event. The camp was far to the east, and too far for her to attend tonight. She had given me her tickets anyway, and told me to take the prettiest mare I could find. So, I had.

“If you’re trying to impress me, it’s working.”

I cast a glance at my date. Suddenly, I no longer felt bad for my dear sister. Rather, I was happy for her misfortune. I offered a hoof to Lyra. “Shall we?”

Her eyes met mine as we locked hooves. “We shall.”

As we walked down the velvet carpet, I found my eyes wandering. The Grand Hall was full of well-dressed ponies. Many of them were clothed in their CDF uniforms, while others wore priestly robes. The majority of attendees wore suits or dresses. In the center of the room was a large fountain. In the center of the fountain was a diamond statute of the Holy Mother. She was standing on her backlegs, with her forelegs stretched out horizontally and her wings unfurled. In her left hoof she was holding the Crystal Heart, while The Book of Cadance was in her right. I had seen a similar pose before on a tapestry.

Speaking of which, tapestries dangled from the rafters above. In the center of the tapestries was a large gold chandelier. Rather than being fitted with bulbs, the chandelier was lit with actual candles. It was truly a sight to behold.

I heard Lyra scoffing beside me. “What is it?”

She rolled her eyes, and pointed to one of the tapestries. “No unicorn would hold a weapon in their mouth. That part of the design makes no sense.”

I gazed upon the tapestry she had pointed out. The Burned Stallion, or rather Shining Armor, stood in the foreground surrounded by flame. He was wearing armor on his torso and hooves, but not his helmet. Blood dripped down the side of his face from a cut above his eye, and fell onto the point of his spear. He clutched the spear in his mouth, whilst his eyes blazed with wrath.

“Artistic license, Lyra. Tis only to accentuate the artist’s point.”

“Which is?”

Behind Shining Armor was the Holy Mother. She was turned away from her husband, and was weeping. In her hooves she cradled her holy book.

“The Holy Mother is not a fan of violence; but it is sometime necessary.”

“Spoken like a true member of the CDF.”

Oh, no. Of all the galas in all the Crystal Wasteland, we had to walk into the same one.

“Hello, Jezebel,” I said without turning around. In fact, I tried to canter away as quickly as possible.

“Now now, Symphony, don’t be rude.” Lyra stood firm, and refused to allow my escape. “I want you to introduce me to your friend.”

“Yes, bu—”

“Don’t you remember, Symph? That’s Princess Jezebel.”

Her voice dripped with a seductive cadence. Every instinct was telling me to tear away from her, but then her onyx hooves snaked around my neck. Each hoof was adorned with a gold shoe, and glittered as a diamond would. They were warm. Oh, so warm. I closed my eyes and sighed. I had not realized how much I missed these hooves.

The sound of Lyra clearing her throat let me know how much trouble I was about to be in. I roughly shook Jezebel’s hooves away, and brushed my shoulders.

“My name is Symph…”

I lost my voice the second I saw her. Her coat was as black and sleek as the night sky. Her grey eyes sparkled like the stars in said sky. Her midnight blue mane matched the dress she was wearing. A dress which showed considerably more of her coat than I would have expected. She batted her grey stars at me. “I know your name all right, Symphony. It’s hard to forget a name I’ve screamed so many times.”

“And my name is Lyra.” Lyra released her hoof from me, and offered it to Jezebel. “Pleasure to meet you.”
Jezebel stared at Lyra’s hoof with a thinly veiled scowl. Her stone-grey eyes moved to me. “Symph, who is this?”

Lyra’s eyes shone with a mixture of mischief and frustration. “Yes, honey-bear, why don’t you tell her exactly who I am.”

“Symphony!”

Never in my life had I been happier to hear Joab’s voice. I felt him pat me on the back with a strong hoof, as he stepped into my line of sight. He was wearing his CDF uniform, which was full of creases and had a couple of holes. How he managed to not violate the dress could would forever be a mystery to me. At least his mane was well groomed. I also noticed he—did he pluck his eyebrows?

He must have noticed me staring at his brow because the left corner of his mouth curved into a frown. “I lost a bet with your sister.” A spark filled his eyes, and he began to look around the room. “Speaking of which, where is the little cock-tease?”

“What did you just call my sister?”

I wanted to enjoy watching him sweat, but I was too legitimately furious. I was also interrupted by Jezebel’s obnoxious coughing to ever have the chance.

“Pardon me. I seem to have come down with some kind of sickness.” She shot a condescending glare at Lyra. “I do hope you’ve had all your shots.”

“Only the one that keeps me from being an obnoxious slut.”
Jezebel’s eyes twitched, and the smile on her face was beyond forced. “You certainly have a mouth on you, don’t you?”

“Symphony seems to think so.” She punctuated her statement by kissing me on my throat.

I responded by wrapping a hoof around her shoulders, and kissing the tip of her horn. I had the urge to kiss her in other places, but that would not have been appropriate given the audience.

“Wait, you brought that here?” Joab stepped up to Jezebel’s side, and gave Lyra the same condescending glare. “Symphony, what were you thinking?”

I took a second to think about his question. All I had wanted was to have a good night with the mare of my dreams. And I could give her such a night at home.

“You are right, Joab. This was a terrible decision.” I slid my hoof down Lyra’s side and locked hooves with her. “Shall we, my dear?”

Lyra’s gaze was a tad wary “We shall.”

I dipped my head towards Jezebel and Joab. Neither of them were deserving of my manners, but I refused to stoop to their level of rudeness. I turned back towards the door with Lyra in tow.

“Be careful you don’t catch any diseases, Symphony!” Jezebel shrilled.

“Yeah,” Lyra whispered. “I’d hate for you to catch stuckupbitch-ivitus.”

I chuckled, and planted a kiss on her cheek. “It would not be the worst thing I received from Jezebel.” When Lyra raised her eyebrow I explained further. “She and I had a brief fling. I thought she loved me. As it turned out, I was not the only stallion who thought that she loved him.” I grinned, and opened the door for Lyra. “It seems I have a thing for harlots.”

I regretted the comment as soon as I said it. I meant it as a joke. To be honest, it was not a particularly funny joke. I could admit that. But I had not meant anything by it. “I am so sorry. I did no—”

Judging from the look in Lyra’s eyes, she took it much more personally than I intended. “No, it’s fine. It’s good to know where I stand.”

“No.” I replied without even thinking. “Lyra, that could not be further from the truth.”

I leaned in to kiss her, but she stepped away from me and out the door. I immediately followed, and was aware of how dark it had gotten. The sun had been setting earlier, and whatever sun was left had been obscured by a shroud of cloud. I felt something wet fall on my coat. I raised my head and watched as the rain began to fall.

“Lyra, we need to find some shelter before it gets worse!”

She stopped, and turned to face me. Disdain glittered in her beautiful golden eyes. “This is nothing, Symphony. I’ve slept outside during a blizzard. Twice. It’ll take a lot more than water t—”

A bolt of lightning flashed above us, and thunder roared. Lyra jumped close to me, and I heard her softly whimper. Now I had a joke I thought was legitimately funny. I whispered into her ear, “I think lightning is a little more than water.”

The disdain was still in her eyes, but some of her usual mischief was there as well. Luckily I had salvaged the situation.

“Fine. I suppose spending time with handsome stallions is what I do as a harlot.”

Or perhaps not. “Lyra, I—”

She shook her head to silence me. “Talk later, shelter now. I don’t want to deal with thunder.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took us a while, but we found an inn we could spend the night in. The innkeeper had tried to finagle us into paying significantly more than the room was worth, but Lyra was able to successfully barter with him for a reasonable price. Currently, I was lying on the bed whilst Lyra was washing her face in the bathroom. I spent my time staring up at a flickering lightbulb. I prayed it was not a metaphor from the Holy Mother about my relationship with Lyra.

Finally, the lightbulb flickered out. I raised my head, and gazed at the door to the bathroom. A faint sliver of silver moonlight illuminated the door. It was like a divine spotlight. All that was missing was the mare of the hour.

Click. The lock was disengaged, and the door swung open. Lyra peeked her head out, but the rest of her body was masked by shadow. Darn. I could only imagine how gorgeous she would look when she was fresh and wet after a shower.

Lyra turned her face from me, and pressed her head against the doorframe. Despite the low light I could tell she was rolling her eyes. It was faint, but I could make out her chuckling as well. Aside from the chuckle Lyra was quiet. I was unsure of what to say so I mimicked her silence.

One minute passed. Then a second. I had started tapping my hooves against the bed. I hated to copy Orchestra’s habit, but I could not help it. I was just so nervous about what Lyra would say. It was a stupid comment, a really stupid comment. Was I really about to lose her over something so senseless? I could not take it anymore. I had to speak up.

“Do you love me, Symphony?”

Her question did not register immediately. It took me a few moments to realize she had broken the silence and I needed to respond. “Is the sky blue, Lyra?”

“Symphony, I asked you if you loved me.”

“I am well aware. And in turn, I am asking you if the sky is blue.”

She paused longer than I would have liked, but she did respond by saying,

“Yes.”

“Are apples red?”

She paused again, but this pause felt more natural. As if she were trying to come up with a clever response rather than legitimately questioning my intentions. “Not always. They can be green and gold.”

Now that was the sarcasm I knew and loved from her. It seemed I would be able to salvage the situation, as well as our relationship, after all. “Fair point. Allow me to rephrase. Are oranges generally orange?”

“Yes, but…”

“And are you the most beautiful mare in the whole world?”

The divine spotlight on Lyra had been gradually growing brighter throughout our exchange. Lyra’s face was fully visible and turned towards me. Her brow was furrowed, and her mouth was somewhere in-between a smile and a frown. But I could see the affection twinkling in her eyes. “You better be taking this where I think you’re taking this.”

I smiled as I approached her. I caressed the side of her face, and she practically purred and pressed her face into my hoof. “For as long as the sky is blue, oranges are orange, and you are the most beautiful mare in the world, I will love you, Lyra.”

Her expression finally settled on a mischievous grin. “Oh, so you’ll only love me while I’m beautiful then? Pfft.” She turned away in mock disdain. “I better not get old any time soon.”

I groaned. “You know that is not what I mean, Lyra. I simp—”

She cut me off with a kiss. A powerful, passionate kiss. I fell over onto my back with Lyra on top of me. The kissing did not stop, not even for a moment. Our bodies continued to melt into each other’s with each passing second. I could not have been happier. I got to be alone with the mare I loved, and make her happy.

And I was about to get my wish. It seemed I would be taking those clothes off after all…

I was home. I could smell the musk, and feel the water dripping from the leaky roof. It was not much; in fact, it was barely anything at all. But it was home. I sat at the round wooden table with my hooves tapping the underside incessantly.

“That’s an odd form of percussion, Symphony.”

I shot my sister a glare from across the table. “You’re one to talk considering where I learned the habit from.”

“Is that a contraction I hear? You must really want me to like this friend.” She frowned a little, and eyes me warily. “You’re not trying to set me up with a friend of yours, are you?”

“No, dear sister. I am not trying to set you up with my dinner guest.”

“Okay, good. The last thing I need right now is to have some stallion checking me out all night. I’m self-conscious enough as it is with the inspection coming up.” ‘Chestra raised one of her hooves, and retrieved the kirpan from its sheath. She held its azure handle in her mouth as she scraped it against a whetstone.

I frowned at my sister. “Do you really have to do that at table?” I scoffed. “Clearly your superiors forgot to include table etiquette into your training.”

Orchestra rolled her eyes at me, and slipped the blade back into its sheath. “Happy now?”

“Quite.”

‘Chestra groaned, and threateningly waved her hoof at me. “For your information, baby brother, the CDF does place value in etiquette, but weapon maintenance takes priority.” She cast her gaze towards the door. “Speaking of etiquette, shouldn’t your guest have been here already? What’s keeping him?”

I could have answered her question, but I had the urge to press my sister a little further. It seemed Lyra had been rubbing off on me. “Speaking of hims, how is Joab doing?”

Orchestra had the exact reaction I intended; her face flushed. “I… -I don’t know.” She slammed her hoof on the table, and glowered. “Don’t ask me such stupid questions, Symphony.”

I chuckled. “Sounds like he is doing well. Give him my regards next time you see him.”

Orchestra’s face scrunched, and she turned away indignantly. She started to mutter something incomprehensible. Okay, it was time to lay off. If she was in too foul of a mood it could ruin the whole evening.

“But alas, you are mistaken, dear sister. This friend is not a him but a her.”

That got Orchestra’s attention. She turned back to face me. Her eyebrows were cocked, and her mouth was wide with a grin. “Oh, really? So my dumb brother’s finally found a mare worth bringing home?” She placed her knife back on the table. “I hope she doesn’t mind a little teasing.”

No, she most certainly did not. In fact, I had asked Lyra to tone her usual tendencies down a bit for the evening. I had been dating her for months and still had trouble dealing with her teasing. I was unsure if Orchestra would make it through an evening with Lyra operating at full force.

“But in all seriousness, I’m happy for you, Symphony. You want to marry her, right?”

I had been in the process of eating a crouton. As soon as Orchestra’s words reached my lips the process became one of choking. I slammed my hoof against my chest, as I coughed. Orchestra did not bother to help me. She just watched me with a knowing smile.

“Mhmm. Thought so.” She stood up, and casually trotted towards me. She chopped my back with her hoof twice, and the crouton slid down. “Let me guess. You want my blessing before you propose.”

I hunched over, and started coughing. After a solid thirty seconds, I sat back down. “How did you know?”

She smiled wryly at me, as she went back to her seat. “Because I know my little brother. The perfect gentlecolt. I’d wager you asked her father as well.”

I shook my head warily. There was something in my sister’s tone I could not place. Anxiety, perhaps? It was certainly odd, but I ignored it and answered her question. “You would have lost that wager, dear sister. She is an orphan, just as we are.”

“An orphan, huh?” A melancholic expression took hold of her face. “Poor girl. It’s not easy growing up alone.”

From the listless look in her eyes, I assumed Orchestra was lost in her memories of our parents. Memories I would never have. I moved beside her, and placed my hoof on hers. “You have never been alone, Orchestra. Nor shall you ever be.”

Her eyes did not change as they fixed upon me. “Yeah…-if you say so, Symph.” Before I could say anything more, she chuckled. “But enough changing the subject. I want to know more about my future sister.” The right side of her face scrunched up, and her nostrils flared. “It’s not that one from Haven you brought to the Grand Galloping Gala, is it? I don’t know what I’d do if you married that heathen harlot.”

“Don’t call her that!” I spoke without even realizing it. I had even used a contraction.

The listlessness had been replaced by a steely glint. “Symphony, did you invite a heathen into my home?”

I matched her glare with one of my own. “Our home.”

Orchestra said nothing more. She did not have to. Her sharp stare and incessant tapping said everything. Tap. Tap. Tap. I hated that sound. I could almost feel the air around me dripping with my sister’s dissatisfaction. Tap. Tap. Thud. What was that? Orchestra’s tapping had always been obnoxious, but it had never been so loud. Tap. Thud. Thud.

“Hello?” a voice called. A voice I knew and loved all too well.

“My guest is here.”

“Then you should answer the door.”

As I approached the door I had an urge. I did not know why, but I felt I needed to say something to my sister. I turned back to her, and saw the change in her eyes. It only lasted for a second, but I was certain I saw the same anxiety I had heard in her voice earlier. “Orchestra?”

“What?” she retorted, the steely glint back in her gaze.

“I love you.”

She flinched as if I had struck her. Aside from that, her expression remained unchanged. “I love you too,” she replied in a tone as cold as her eyes.

I turned towards the door, and opened it.

There she was. The most beautiful mare in all of the Crystal Wasteland. She was wearing a vermillion dress, with a gold sash. I absolutely loved this dress. It brought out her eyes spectacularly, as well as accentuated her flank. I doubted I would even need to eat. My eyes were feasting enough right now.

Lyra flung her hooves around me, and pulled me close. “There’s my handsome stallion! I’ve missed you so much.” She gently nibbled on my ear, and sent a shudder down my spine. “I’ll bet you missed me too.”

“You have no ide—”

“Ahem.”

Oh, right ‘Chestra. I stepped out of Lyra’s embrace, and gestured to her. “Orchestra, this is my marefriend Lyra Heartstrings XIII. Lyra, this is my sister Orchestra.”

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Lyra stepped forward and curtsied.

I braced myself for Orchestra’s biting retort. My prediction would be the use of the word “gypsy.” Nothing too offensive, but it would set the tone for the rest of the night. That, or she would stand up and order Lyra out of the house. Oh, please, not that. I closed my eyes, and silently prayed to the Holy Mother that would not come to pass.

“Please, the pleasure is all mine.”

Hmm? I opened my eyes, and watched my sister bowing. She approached Lyra, and offered her hoof. “Shall I show you to your seat?”

“Why, yes, thank you! Now I see where Symphony gets his good manners from.” Lyra laughed, and wrapped her hoof around my sister’s.

“Good manners?” Orchestra scoffed. “If my brother had any manners at all, he would have warned me about your arrival.”

“Warned you? I’m not sure I follow,” Lyra replied, sounding a tad nervous.

“My idiot brother failed to warn me of your beauty, Miss Heartstrings. I feel I’m at a disadvantage.”

“Did he now? Maybe he was just afraid you would try and charm me away from him.”

‘Chestra replied with a grin. “Is it working?”

“Ooh, I like you!” Lyra planted a kiss on my sister’s cheek. “Symphony has his work cut out for him if he wants to keep me to himself.”

I was at a loss. Only a minute ago Orchestra had seemed perfectly willing to banish Lyra from the house. Now she was practically flirting with her. What was my sister playing at? I knew I should have been happy to see the two of them getting along. I wanted to be happy, but something felt very off about this.

Orchestra led Lyra to the chair at the corner of the table, which would put Lyra in-between my sister and me. ‘Chestra pulled out Lyra’s chair, and bowed again once Lyra sat down.

“Orchestra, you are an absolute gem. Tell me a little bit about yourself.”

My sister took her seat at the head of the table with a shrug. “There’s not much to tell. I’ve been looking after Symphony ever since Mom and Dad died. I joined the CDF as soon as I could to get some income. I’ve been stationed in a few different places, but I haven’t really done much. Just some recon and weapons tests.”

Lyra scoffed. “Oh, I know there’s more to you than that. What’s your cutie mark?” Lyra craned her neck, and grinned. “I’d love to get a peek at it. It’s a shame that uniform is in the way.”

My sister blushed ardently. “It’s…-um, well...-it’s a flute.”

“Really?!” Lyra’s face brightened immensely. “Do you play? I’ve brought my lyre with me. Maybe the two of us could make sweet music together.”

To my surprise, there was no sultry tone in Lyra’s voice. The phrase “make sweet music together” was just the type of innuendo she would love, but she was nothing if not sincere in that moment. Orchestra, however, did not seem to realize this and only blushed harder.

“I’d rather not.”

Hurt and disappointment briefly flashed in Lyra’s eyes at my sister’s words. Orchestra was not trying to be mean; this was just her indignation coming out. But to those who did not know her it could come across as extreme rudeness. I entwined my tail with Lyra’s to offer some comfort. It was not much, but it seemed to cheer her up a little. She kissed me on the cheek, and took her first bite of cabbage stew.

“Mhmm.” Lyra’s tone was thoroughly unenthusiastic. “This is really…”

“Symphony made it.”

“Terrible!” Lyra pushed her bowl away. “I appreciate you making dinner for us, Symphony, but you’re just plain bad.”

“Thanks for the support.” I attempted to remove my tail from hers in indignation, but Lyra just held on tighter. I supposed I did not have to be too mad. She was right after all. The cabbage stew was terrible. I took another bite, and barely repressed my urge to retch.
‘Chestra sighed. “Tell me, Lyra, what are your plans for the future?”

“For my future?” Lyra rocked back in her chair, and stared up at the stars through the holes in the roof. “I want to get away from this place.”

“My house is not that bad,” I grunted with a grin.

She pushed me playfully with her front hooves. “You know that’s not what I mean. I just…” She sighed, and offered a small smile to my sister. “I’m sorry if this sounds offensive, but I don’t feel that I belong among crystal ponies. Most of them look down on me like I’m some sort of sub-pony. I think the only way I could be truly happy would be if I could live somewhere else. Like the old Equestria.”

‘Chestra raised an eyebrow. “The old Equestria? Are you sure that’s safe at all?”

“Of course not. I doubt anypony who lives there can sleep well at night.”

“So why would you want to leave?” I asked. “Is there anything that would make you want to stay?”

Lyra and I locked eyes. She knew exactly what question I was really asking her. She answered it by placing one of her hooves on my lap, and kissing me on the cheek. “Nothing I can’t take with me.”

“You bring up a good point, Symphony. If you think the old Equestria is so dangerous, then why not just stay here?”

“I can’t stay here because of the so called ‘True Cadanites.’” Lyra stuck out her tongue, and made a gagging noise. “I think they’re disgusting and dangerous. I don’t know if I could sleep well across the border, but I know I can’t sleep well here either.”

“The True Cadanites, huh?” Orchestra folded her front hooves on the table, and leaned forward. “Did you know you were speaking to one right now?”

Lyra chuckled, and shook her head. “Nice try, Orchestra, but you can’t be a True Cadanite. If you were, you would absolutely hate me.”

“I know, and I do. I’ve wanted to kill you ever since you stepped hoof into my house.”

Lyra chuckled awkwardly, and eyed my sister warily. “You have an odd sense of humor, Orchestra.”

“I’m not joking. The only reason I haven’t slit your throat is because my brother seems to have a thing for you.” Orchestra’s gaze flicked towards me. “The answer is no, by the way. And the next time you bring me a disgusting girl I’ll kill her the second I see her. Are we clear, Symphony?”

Lyra answered before I could. “I’m sorry, but where the fuck do you and your kind get off?”

“My kind?”

“Yes, your kind, Orchestra. You and the other bigots.”

“I’ll tell you exactly where we get off, harlot.” Orchestra slammed one of her front hooves on the table, and used the other to point at Lyra. “It was your kind that started the war with the zebras. Your kind that led to the death of the Goddess. And it’s your kinds’ continued existence that angers her so.”

Lyra rolled her eyes. “Not this Goddess nonsense.”

“Nonsense?!”

Lyra tilted her head at Orchestra, and looked at my sister as if she were a child. “Yes, nonsense. Because only an idiot would believe in an old mare’s tale like that.”

Orchestra turned to me, and pointed both front hooves at Lyra. “How can you sit there and listen to this? She’s insulting the Goddess. Your Goddess. And you’re just going to sit there?”

I replied by taking another bite of my cabbage soup.

“You knew, didn’t you? You knew, and you still brought her into my home.”

“It’s not just your home. Symphony lives here too. More than you do. I mean, I’ve slept here more times in the past month than you have.”

The color drained from my sister’s face after hearing Lyra’s words. I could only assume my face looked the same way.

“You what?”

Lyra’s lips curled sinisterly. She leaned forward, and she batted her eyes at Orchestra. “I fucked him in your bed.”

That was not true! While the two of did fu—er, copulate, I never stepped hoof in Orchestra’s room. That was her space, and I kept it that way. Lyra was just egging her on at this point. I knew I needed to say something to diffuse the situation, but what? If I said something in Lyra’s defense, I would earn my sister’s wrath. If I spoke up for Orchestra, I would receive Lyra’s ire. It killed me to see them fighting like this, but what could I do?

“You…” Orchestra was literally shaking with rage. “You fucking whore!”

“And you’re a stupid cunt.”

The moments that followed were bizarre. On one hoof, I felt as if they happened quickly. Too quickly for anypony to process what had transpired. But on the other, it was almost as if time had slowed to a crawl. Orchestra flipped the table, and the impact knocked Lyra and me on our backs. Orchestra ripped her kirpan from its sheath, and lunged at Lyra. My sister’s eyes blazed with fury and bloodlust. Meanwhile, Lyra was too stunned to retaliate. She did not even see the attack coming.

But I had. I leaped in front of Lyra to shield her from my sister’s strike. Orchestra had either not seen me, or was too blood hungry to care. She slashed in my direction. I felt so many things at once. The cold of her kirpan’s blade. The warmth of my blood as it dripped from the wound. I felt physical pain at the cut, and emotional pain as I saw the hate in my sister’s eyes. Most of all I felt tired. Oh, so tired.

I collapsed onto my side. Tears streamed down my face as I coughed up blood. I pressed my hooves against my throat in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding. I watched as my hooves became soaked in my blood. Were these my final moments? If so, I wanted to spend them looking at Lyra. At least that would give me some reprieve.

“Symphony?”

Instead I was looking at my sister. Her mouth stood agape, and her body shook. Her kirpan clattered to the floor, as she rushed to my side. “Symphony!” She cradled my head with her front hooves, and pressed her tail against my wound. “Come on, baby brother. It’s just a scratch. Just a little scratch.” She was starting to cry now too. Her tears were falling into the wound, and only served to cause me more pain.

“It’s all her fault,” my sister whispered in my ear. “It’s all that heathen harlot’s fault. She’s the reason this happened. It’s only because of her. If you didn’t know her then…” ‘Chestra raised her head and started to scream. “YOU KILLED MY BROTHER, YOU FILTHY FUCKING CUNT! YOU KILLED H—”

A solid gold lyre slammed into the side of my sister’s head. She was knocked onto her side out of my line of sight. But not out of earshot. I could hear her screams. Oh good Goddess above, the screaming. I was beginning to lose consciousness. My eyes were growing heavy and my vision was weakening. But I was still able to get a glimpse of Lyra. The last image I thought I would ever see was of Lyra approaching me while my sister screamed in the background.

I awoke to the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling.

The ceiling I was used to had holes in it. There was also mold growing in a few places. It was not a particularly nice ceiling, but I was used to it. In contrast, this ceiling was beautiful and plain in its white color. It was relaxing. It made me feel placid. An unfamiliar white ceiling. I had a feeling I was in a hospital.

I was unsure as to why. My memory was on the hazy side. I supposed the first order of business was inventory. I raised my head and observed my body. I had four legs, my tail, and I could see and hear without a problem.

I could not see any bandages…-wait, what was that? I could see a gauze at the base of my neck. I touched to my hoof and felt around. Sure enough, the gauze was wrapped around my entire throat. It felt wet. Very wet. When I removed my hoof I saw blood dripping from it. There was not much blood, but enough for me to know something was wrong.

All of a sudden, I felt a surge of searing pain in my throat. I frantically searched for something to numb the pain. But there was nothing. No ice or medicine in sight. I needed to call the nurse then. I opened my mouth to call out, but the resulting sound was all wrong. There were no words, or even syllables for that matter. I only heard a strained hint of a rasp. It was disgusting; it was terrifying.

I tried calling again. And again, and again. Each time I heard the sound again, and each time my throat burned even more.

What had happened to me? The last thing I remembered was eating dinner with Lyra and Orchestra. The meal had gone well from what I could recall. The food was far from great, but at least the two of them had gotten along. No, there was more to the story than that. I recalled feeling tense the entire time, especially near the end. There had been a shouting match, and then ‘Chestra flipped the table, and.…

She did this to me. Orchestra had tried to kill Lyra, and she hit me on accident. Lyra had hit her in return, and my sister had screamed. Oh no, not the scream. I could hear it in my head. I pressed my hooves against my ears, but that did nothing to mitigate the noise. That horrible shriek was now etched into my brain. I needed to get it to stop. I raised my head, and slammed it back down on the bed. I repeated this action a few more times, but it did not help either. If anything, it only made the sound louder.

My hooves flopped to my sides, and I stared back at the unfamiliar ceiling. Lyra, where are you?

As if the Holy Mother had heard my question, the door to my room slowly opened. Lyra poked her head in, and she smiled once she saw me. “I’m so glad you’re awake. I was really worried about you.”

For a moment everything felt better. Lyra’s smile had the power to warm my heart, and I could feel my troubles melt away. But the feeling only lasted a brief moment. As Lyra trotted to my bed side, I attempted a greeting. The smile left her face the instant she heard the sound I made.

“Sketch told me the damage was bed. She didn’t think you’d actually make it. Can you believe that old witch? She actually told me to start looking for a new beau.” She wiped a hoof across her face, and sniffed. “This. This right here.” She motioned to me. “This is a miracle, Symphony. You being alive, I…” She touched one of her hooves to mine, and did not bother wiping away her tears. “I love you, ya big lug.”

I love you too. Four little words I would never be able to say again. I would have given my right eye to be able to say those words right now. Instead I did the next best thing. I pointed to my heart, and then pointed to Lyra’s. My heart belongs to you, Lyra.

There was a flicker of happiness in her eyes, but it was gone as soon as it arrived. She turned away from me, and her hoof slid away from mine. “I love you, Symphony; really, I do. But I can’t be with you anymore. The only reason this happened to you was because of me. And we both know it.”

She turned back towards me, and flinched. No doubt she felt the venom in my gaze. “Don’t argue with me, Symphony.” She pointed towards the window. “I can’t stay here in the Crystal Wasteland anymore. I wanted to leave anyway, but now your fucking cunt of a sister wants my head. But you don’t have to leave. Yeah, she’s pissed at you, but she’ll get over it. She’s your family, and you can’t just leave your family. Not when you still have one.”

I repeated the gesture, and then placed my hoof on hers. I doubted it was enough to convey what I really wanted to say. That Lyra was my family now. I did not think I was capable of looking at Orchestra again, let alone continuing to call her my sister. No, perhaps that was too harsh. She was my sister after all. She was just—no! She tried to kill Lyra; she nearly killed me. That made her a monster. A monster who I could not bring myself to hate. I tried to sigh, but was only rewarded with another disgusting sound. Perfect.

Lyra looked down at me with a sad, but knowing, smile on her face. “I’m not going to win this fight. Am I, Symphony?”

I shook my head.

Her smile brightened a little bit. She lied down beside me, and pressed her head against my chest. “You’re a stubborn son of a bitch, you know that?”

I replied by kissing the tip of her horn.

To my surprise, Lyra giggled. Despite my situation I found myself smiling a sincere smile. She could seem legitimately innocent at times. I was really cute. She playfully swiped her hoof at me, and lightly tapped me on the nose. “You can’t just kiss me there without asking for permission first. What kind of mare do you take me for?”

The two of us shared a laugh. Well, she laughed. I was not quite sure what to call the sound I was making. I slid one of my hooves to touch my throat. This really happened to me. I had lost my voice. Would I ever get it back? If not, how long would it take me to get over it? Could I ever? There were so many questions going through my head that I barely heard Lyra’s.

“We’re really doing this, aren’t we? We’re going to leave this place and start a life together.” She rolled on top of me, and our eyes met. Neither of us said anything because neither of us had to. Our eyes said it all.

I love you.

Lyra.

I had found the love of my life, and now I would only see her in my memories and dreams. I felt as though I could have been reminiscing for hours, but all those memories occurred in the blink of an eye. The feeling was both surreal and cruel. She, and any chance at happiness I had left, was taken from me.

I stared at the door to the way station. It would open any second now, and I would see my enemies. Purity. The priest. Orchestra. Yes, soon I would be reunited with my sister. And she would soon be reunited with Joab.

Finally, after what felt like months of waiting, the door began to creak open…

Author's Notes:

Happy New Year, everyone! Sorry this chapter came so late today. Heck, for some of you it might technically be tomorrow. I'm honestly a little surprised I got this one done on time. But I think the next one should be done perfectly on time. Anyways, I hope you all had a great year and have a great year next year. As always, thanks to Kkat for the original story, other writers for their contributions, and anyone who reads this story. See you all in the next one.

P.S. By the way, the lack of a footnote in this chapter wasn't an oversight. Since it was entirely done in flashback, aside from those last couple lines, there wasn't any experience gained so there really wasn't anything to say.