After our morning run, I'd given Rainbow instructions on how much running I wanted her to do while we were away, and I was fairly sure she'd do it, too. It'd only taken her seeing two Wonderbolts organizing a weather event for her to practically double her efforts. She ran every morning without fail, and every evening I swore she looked ready to collapse—but only because I'd pushed her to do more.

In the month and a half we'd been living together, Scootaloo had grown almost an inch, but still had no sign of her cutie mark. She'd had her shower after our run, breakfast, and was waiting for Sweetie and me in the living room. "We'll miss our train!"

I looked across at the clock on the wall and shrugged. "If we do, we'll walk. It's not far." Sweetie's elbow in my shoulder made me wobble a little. "Alright, alright. Do we have everything packed?"

"Yes! C'mon!"

Sweetie and I'd checked each other's packs, but Scootaloo we'd left to do her own. Her pack was small, but I could see one obvious thing missing. "Not taking your scooter?"

"If I was going to get my cutie mark in riding a scooter, I think I would have it by now. I want to maximize my time trying out new things." She fluffed the feathers of her wings a little in what appeared to be pride at the leap of logic. "I want to try everything!"

Sweetie Drops cleared her throat. "Let's get going, then. If we miss the train, your sister might not be waiting for us in Cowwarr/Stonecrop."

Following her to the door, I was struck by how odd it felt to be carrying a pack without wearing armor. For the first time since becoming a pony I felt naked. Silly, but naked. Heh—butt naked. Get it together, Lyra. "I'm sure she'll wait for us."

We got all the way to the train station before two fillies stopped in our path and looked forlorn at Scootaloo. There was no sight of the train yet, so Sweetie and I stepped around and left Scootaloo to talk with her friends before we left.

"They do practically everything together, you know?" Sweetie asked.

"Yeah. Thick as thieves. Err, I mean they're close." Even now, after six years living in Equestria, sometimes I'd say something so Australian that people wouldn't get what I meant. "What was the letter about?"

"That bugbear is hunting for me. A pair of scouts saw it back at the shore sniffing at a log and pacing. They think it's smarter than we figured at first." I watched as Sweetie rolled her shoulders and limbered up her muscles. For me, at least, watching Sweetie was a spectator sport. At first glance—without her armor on—she didn't look that big, but when you saw her move like she was now, muscles that could tear a tree in half rippled under her coat. "… Lyra? Lyra!"

I still blushed when she caught me watching her. I blushed like a filly—or boy—who saw his first crush and got caught staring. "Sorry, what?"

Sweetie kissed me front-on, right on the lips. "You'll give ponies the wrong idea about us if you keep looking at me like that."

"What's the wrong idea?" I asked and kissed her back.

"Kiss me again and I'll think of one." She didn't wait for me to kiss her again, taking the initiative, and only breaking apart when the sound of a locomotive whistle made our ears twitch.

"I want to continue this discussion on the train." I turned to look for said train. It was slowing down, but it was obvious that the ride down the mountain was a lot easier on the locomotives than the ride up.

There was an odd sense of imminence. I wasn't anywhere near the border with Thestralia and I felt a sense of going there already. Movement in the corner of my eye caused me to glance to the side and down. Scootaloo looked like she had a balanced mix of excitement and regret on her face. "Your friends have something planned?"

"No, that's why this sucks a little. Spending weeks away from them will be forever. Apple Bloom will be visiting her big sister, and Sweetie Belle will be going home to her parents' house for the holidays. It's like—It's like we're all going our own ways."

I couldn't stand seeing Scoots down. Had I gone clucky? Was this the whole starting the biological clock thing people always said about girls? "Well, you'll be coming back soon enough, and I'm sure they'll be back by then."

"Besides. You might make a new friend or two in Thestralia that you can tell them about when you get back," Sweetie Drops said.

"Yeah! I might!" Her mood reversed, Scootaloo practically bounced along as we got on the train. She stared out the window at the scenery going past, and after the conductor came and checked our tickets, then left, she finally looked up at Sweetie. "What's it like in Thestralia?"

Sweetie Drops turned from her own contemplation of the scenery to look at Scootaloo. "I haven't been there either, so we both get to find out together."

Both of them looked at me. "Hey, I haven't seen the place for… seven years or so. From what Robin said, it's really different. I hope you both like fruit."

The pair of groans I got made me giggle something fierce. The train ride took a turn as I felt the locomotive start to slow down. I looked out the window nearest us, saw nothing, so ran to the other side and stared in surprise.

There was a huge station ahead, but unlike any I'd seen built in Equestria, this one had armed guards around it. E.U.P. Guardponies stood side by side with batponies that had spears and boomerangs mounted on their light armor. A part of me wanted to inspect the batpony guards' equipment to see if they had any magic on them. The boomerangs looked strange, one of the arms was way longer than the other, but they still looked to be shaped for throwing.

"You've got our paperwork?" Sweetie asked.

I nodded and used my magic to pull a letter from Princess Celestia from my pack. They were in lieu of actual passports, since Equestria didn't have such a thing. A second set of papers joined them—our visas for entry into Thestralia. I wasn't even sure what had been harder to get, though we had Robin and Dream on one side and Mum on the other helping. "Yeah, got 'em all."

As the train slowed to a stop, I felt a sense of excitement. Thestralia might not be my home anymore, but it was where I grew up. I'll never forget Cowwarr, though my previous school is better forgotten. I led the way off the train and onto a platform that reminded me of the ones on Earth. Heavy concrete and long wooden buildings dominated the station, but what made up the bulk of that Earth-feel was the non-slip pads worked into the concrete.

"Deployment papers?" The tone was sharp and made me remember the sergeants I'd trained and served under. The stallion who was the owner of the voice did indeed have the markings on his armor of a sergeant, though I didn't know his name.

"Sir!" I snapped an excellent salute (at least I hoped it was) but didn't give him the paperwork I carried. "We're not on duty, simply going for a holiday."

"Private Lyra Heartstrings, Private First Class Sweetie Drops, and their daughter Scootaloo." This speaker was a different pony with a different tone. A Royal Guard lieutenant held a clipboard with one wing and walked toward us.

Not for the first time in my life I was struck by how big those selected for the Royal Guard were. This stallion was on a whole other scale compared to most ponies. His armor was polished to a mirror shine, the crested helmet (also polished) atop his head made him look larger still, and he walked with the kind of assuredness that said he knew he was the biggest fish in this pond. "Princess Celestia sent me warning that one of her pupils would be arriving with such paperwork as that you are carrying. Sergeant, with your leave, I'll escort these guests to the border."

"Yes, sir." The sergeant sounded both relieved and curious with just two words. I guess they didn't get many visitors out here.

"Please come with me, ladies."

I looked at Sweetie and Scoots, and both just shrugged back at me. "So, what's the deal here? Expecting new troops?"

"Oh, the usual. Cycling the troops. End of one tour, start of the next." The stallion stopped—almost causing us to walk into him—and turned. "Where's my manners. Lieutenant Dawn Crisp of Princess Celestia's Royal Guard." He dipped his head, though not enough to even get his snout level with the point of my horn. Damn he's big.

"You know our names and all. Thanks for the save back there," I said. "So what kind of hoops are we going to have to jump through?"

Sweetie, I noticed, looked at Dawn Crisp with a hint of confusion. "And why's a Royal Guard out here… not guarding any royalty?"

"What outfit are you with?" Dawn Crisp asked.

"Monster Hunters."

"That'd explain it. You operate within the borders but don't extend much to them. Equestria's borders protect Princess Celestia's realm, and thus Princess Celestia herself. I let the E.U.P. Guard do their job here—which is the hard work needed to protect Equestria as a whole—while I carry out any special tasks that the princess might need overseen."

"That's why you asked the sergeant's permission for leave?" I asked.

"Exactly. They're in charge here. I am an ancillary. A dollop of grease the princess supplies to ensure the gears of international—and interdimensional—relations turn smoothly. Today that includes ensuring three VIPs have no problem finding my counterpart on the Thestralian side."

"Seems fair enough. I know Princess Celestia has a tendency to train ponies to be problem solvers." Sweetie elbowed me in the shoulder. "I happened to marry one. What about the other question? If the gears are greased on this side, who's doing the greasing on the other?"

"That will be a young mare called Dream Thunder. She's a cross between a wizard and the goofiest pony I've ever met. She claims she was born a pegasus, but I can never tell if she's telling the truth or not." I almost cracked up laughing at Dawn Crisp's description of Dream. "Regardless of her racial affiliations and state of mind, she's told me you are expected and your processing will be expedited."

It was sobering to remember that Dream held the bulk of the magic that Tufts had possessed when he was in Thestralia. I wondered how much she was able to use now. "Hopefully we can make a good first impression on her. Is she cute?"

Sweetie stared at me in surprise, as did Scootaloo.

The truth was, I still felt a bit like Dream's big sister (though it was big brother when I first knew her). Finding out who was her coltfriend (or even potential coltfriend) was important.

"Like all bat ponies, she has a wingspan that just won't quit. I make it a code of honor not to consort in such ways with members of an allied nation, however." Dawn Crisp sounded a little wistful there. So maybe not Dream, but did he have his eyes set on another bat pony?

He led the way off the platform and into one of the long buildings attached to it. What was particular about this building the moment we stepped inside was there were only bat ponies in here. It almost felt like we were intruding.

The stallion sitting behind a desk on one side of the room lifted his head from where he'd been writing something and smiled at us. "Lieutenant, it's always good to see you. What have you brought us today?"

He spoke perfect Equish, but there was a heavy enough Aussie accent that I knew it wasn't some kind of spell doing the translation.

"I have brought the first three tourists who will be visiting your country. Their paperwork…" Dawn Crisp looked to me.

I walked as casually as I could over to the desk—with Scootaloo and Sweetie following along—and cleared my throat. "G'day. I hope I've got everything ya need," I spoke in English as I passed over the papers with my magic.

The bat pony looked at me with a surprised glance, grinned, and in English said, "There aren't a lot of ponies that speak English that well. You'd have to be Dream's friend, right?" They took the paperwork and gave it a look over. "This all looks good. Head on through the door on your right. Dream's been waiting for you."

"Thanks. Hey, is it you this big hunk's been eyeing?" I asked.

"I wish. He keeps looking at Mary—that's the head customs officer. Don't know why he doesn't ask her out, she's been giving him longing looks when she thinks he isn't looking."

"Ha! I thought so. He has some kind of honor thing going. What you'll want to do is get word back to a Princess Cadance. Get her to come out here and do an inspection. Tell her Lyra suggested it. I promise she'll get them hooked up or my name isn't Lyra Heartstrings." Was I setting him up? Yes. Was I doing it for good reasons? Probably. He did help us get through what might have been hours of repeating our story over and over.

"You know a princess? Wait, I thought there was only one?"

"There's a second one. She's pretty big on getting ponies hooked up. Talk to one of the E.U.P. Sergeants. They'll get it done." As soon as I mentioned sergeant, the stallion's eyes twinkled. How integrated was this place? Couldn't possibly be a bad thing, in my opinion.

"Will do. You better head in or Dream will come out and ask where you are for the twentieth time today." That last he said in Equish.

"Thanks, I think." Sweetie gave me a hard look and led the way to Dream's office—the one the stallion at the desk had pointed to.

Okay, I was probably in hot water here until I explained to Sweetie what all my antics had been in aid of. Great way to start the holiday, Lyra. I followed Sweetie with Scoots at my side. After a knock from my wife, a familiar voice inside called, "Come in!" in Thestralian.

"She said come in," I said.

"Figured." Sweetie opened the door and walked inside. "Dream! It's great to see you again!" It had completely slipped my mind that they'd met before.

"You too!" Dream jumped over her desk and met Sweetie halfway across the room with a hug. "And Lyra, too!"

I rushed forward into a hug with her too, reveling in our old friendship rekindled. "It's been too long, as always. Sorry if we took a while coming in, I was trying to set up Lieutenant Dawn Crisp with some pants-unstarcher."

"Is that what you were doing? I thought you were—" Blushing, Sweetie snapped her mouth shut. "You were finding out who he's been 'saving himself' from, weren't you?"

"And organizing for Cadance to come and pay him a visit. I don't have the time or the pull to uncork his emotions, but Cadance takes that kind of thing as a challenge." That's when I realized we were forgetting somepony. "Hey, Scoots, come over and meet Dream Thunder."

Scootaloo looked from me to Dream, then marched forward with a big grin on her face. "Hi! I'm Scootaloo!"

"Hello, Scootaloo, you probably already caught my name, but in case you didn't, it's Dream Thunder. Lyra sent me a letter telling me so much about you." Dream offered her hoof to Scoots to bump, and she did. "Did you know I was born a pegasus?"

There probably wasn't much else Dream could have said that would have gotten Scootaloo's full attention so quickly or so deeply. "Really? Why'd you go to Thestralia?"

"My mum was teaching there. Lyra told me why you're coming, and I think it's a good idea to give destiny a little push from time to time—but I want you to make me a promise."

Scootaloo blinked a few times owlishly. "What is it?"

"I want you to promise me," Dream Thunder said, "that you won't focus entirely on getting your cutie mark. This is meant to be a holiday! You should have fun and meet ponies while you're here—err, there."

"Yeah… Is everypony there like Lyra and Tufts?"

Not cracking up laughing at the question was impossible. I giggled away while Dream looked completely stunned. Just the look on her face made me laugh even more.

"Yes and no. Lyra's sense of humor is fairly common, though her personal outlook is a lot brighter than most Thestralians. Tufts…" Now Dream tilted her head a little to the side. "You met him, huh?"

"He helped me make my didgeridoo!"

Dream looked about to ask more, but then closed her mouth and sighed. "That bat will never stop surprising me. Okay, are you all ready to head in?"

"Does this still need you to do…" I leaned in beside Dream and mock-whispered (loud enough for Sweetie and Scoots to hear), "…the thing?"

"What thing?" Scootaloo asked.

I gasped. "I cannot speak of it. It's how Dream realigns you to stay in either Equestria or Thestralia. She takes her—It's too much!"

Scootaloo's wings floofed out and buzzed a little. "Is it another thing like the Dreaming? That was awesome last time! I got to be a bat pony! My wings were huge!"

"Well, we're going to have to do some flying to reach Canberra. Are you feeling up for that?" Dream gestured to a side door.

"You mean you're going to pull us into the Dream together, then we'll fly to Canberra?" Sweetie led the way to the door and opened it with her hoof. There was a short hallway beyond that we all set off down.

"That's the best way to get around. Oh, there might be a few nasties on the way, but I can deal with them. You can even practice some Dreamtime magic if you like." When Dream Thunder reached the end of the hall, she opened the door and stepped outside.

The change in her was amazing. She stopped once she was clear of the doorway and swayed her head a little side to side while stretching first one wing then another. Just like with Mum and Dad's, they were huge.

Scoots noticed Dream's wings too. Excitement and hope in equal measure were obvious on her face. For the first time since becoming a pony I wished I'd been given wings. Wings that I could give to her.

"Is your mum still living in Cowwarr?" I asked.

"Yup. She's still teaching. Just because everyone turned into bat ponies didn't stop kids from needing to learn. C'mon!" Her hooves suddenly flashing, Dream took off at a canter for the town in the distance.

Flying might be Dream's thing, but running was definitely ours. Even Scoots kept up with her all the way to the barrier. A dome that had swollen to encompass all of Cowwarr and Stonecrop stood before us. There was a slight shimmer to the surface of it, and it was hard to see the other side, but I just laughed and jumped right through.

Sweetie's eyes narrowed a little, but she followed suit with Scootaloo at her side.

Dream walked through last and reached a hoof out to boop me.

"No!" I teleported backwards exactly thirty centimeters—just out of immediate boop range. "Ha! Can't get me!"

"Get back here!" Her words were backed up by a batty screech, and I had to teleport again or else have Dream land on top of me.

I lost track of what Sweetie and Scootaloo were doing in my increasingly difficult efforts to get away from Dream. Eventually, though, I had to surrender to her booping. Mostly because we reached town. Home—kinda. It wasn't easy to see the stripes from the ground, but I knew the town was still compacted and bound up in concentric rings of alternating Cowwarr and Stonecrop. The magic still hadn't quite settled—and I could feel it now.

Dream was panting with exertion beside me. "Why did you make that so hard?"

"Because it was fun, and now the others will be freaking out over getting booped."

"You make everything a good bit stranger, Lyra Heartstrings. What's Scootaloo's chance of flying without turning into a bat pony?" Dream's question surprised me with its seriousness.

I flicked my head to look, but found Scoots and Sweetie still far enough away that they wouldn't hear me. "Not great. I've looking into just about anything a unicorn could do—even an alicorn, though don't tell Princess Celestia about that—and there's just not much for it. If she wants to fly with her own wings, it's going to take a lot of luck and work."

Sharp Fang and/or the other hunters: any other critters try to sneak into Equestria?

"We cracked down hard on the border, and have worked with the eyoop guard. Patrolling our border is important, and we don't want any of the monsters from either side crossing over. Also, those in charge of aligning goods and people to one side or the other are being more careful too." Flicking their wing, Sharp Fang let out a soft screech of annoyance. "Now we just gotta stop everyone from relaxing so much it doesn't happen again, or so I've been told."

So I do this "Ask X" thing. X can be any pony within the story. You can ask them anything and they will definitely, hopefully reply. Keep the questions appropriate to the age-rating of the stories, and they will answer the best question in the author notes of the next chapter. The more votes a comment has the more likely I will get it to the right pony to answer. Try to keep it to one question per post! They will pick one question per chapter.

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