The early morning was quiet, as any pony would expect. For some, it was an earlier morning than usual. Such a pony was Stormwalker. Not only was she a Wonderbolt trainee, she was now going to add being a participant in a military training exercise. Training under Twilight, two human military experts, Rainbow Dash, and three other seasoned Solar Guards? This was sure to get her into the Wonderbolts.

The first thing she had to do, though, was turn off her alarm clock and get out of bed.

Stormwalker tapped her alarm clock and rolled out of bed into a stretch.

"Erah!... Guh… This is gonna look good on my resume."

She stepped into her shower to help wake her up out of her funk. She washed over her persian blue coat and let the shampoo run through her mane and tail of a light blue with white highlights. Even her feathers got a good rinse so she could get her best flight in and impress anypony who could recommend her into the academy. Had to give her cutie mark of a shooting star a good scrub, too. All the better for anypony to remember who she was.

She gave herself a good once over through her lavender off-colored eyes and was convinced this was the body of a future Wonderbolt.

After one long rinse off, she was out of the shower and drying off and knew she was ready to start the day as she packed her things.

"Journal. Travelers toiletry kit. Daring Do book in case I get bored… That should be it."She looked out the window towards the house across the street. "Now to make sure Thunderlane is up… Lazy colt better not be sick again."

No sooner than she had closed the door behind her, a stallion's voice sprang up off to the side of her house.

"Well, well. Look who decided to wake up."

Stormwalker turned her eyes to see Thunderlane leaning against the outer wall trying to look cool.

"Wow," She mocked a tone of surprise. "Look who didn't wake up in the hospital with the feather flu just in time to skip out on something important."

Thunderlane pushed himself away from the house and rolled his eyes, not hiding how annoyed he was with her joke.

"That was four years ago, and I wasn't even the only pony sick that day. Why doesn't anypony ever blame Blossomforth for getting all of us sick?"

Stormwalker strolled out in front, "Don't you worry your sickly little mane off. You'll have your chance to redeem yourself."

Thunderlane welcomed the chance.

"I'm not sick today, and I don't plan on being anytime soon. It's my time to shine and take the next opening. But don't worry, I'll put in a good word for ya."

It was all fun and games for Stormwalker, and she knew he was just as likely to be selected as she was.

"Not if I beat you to it. Now come on, neither one of us is gonna make the team if we don't show up on time. Let's grab a quick bite to eat. Remember, if you're not early, you're late."

Thunderlane made a quick adjustment to his satchel, "Why do you think I woke up earlier than you? Come on. Only Oven Fresh's bakery is open this early."

The two flew over to the local bakery and let themselves in.

"Good morning, you two," Oven Fresh greeted her early customers. "I don't normally see you two in here this early. Heading out into the Everfree?"

Stormwalker trotted up to the display and looked over the assortment of breads and snacks.

"That we are. We volunteered for the overwatch teams, and Rainbow Dash selected us for her three-pony team."

Thunderlane joined in the hunt for breakfast.

"We could have run our own team, but how could we pass up a chance to train with Rainbow Dash? After all she's done with the other Elements and how well she ran everypony getting ready to make the tornado to supply Cloudsdale with rainwater, it's not even a question."

Oven Fresh continued on with her work, restocking a shelf with more of her raspberry scones.

"Weren't you sick with the feather flu for that?"

Across the room, Thunderlane could hear Stormwalker snickering and had to answer over the distraction, "Yes. Unfortunately… And I'm never going to live that down."

Seeing a customer unhappy in her shop was something Oven Fresh wasn't going to allow.

"Getting sick wasn't your fault. Nopony can hold that against you. And besides. You're devoting your time to a worthy cause to help one of our new friends. In the Everfree of all places."

Stormwalker set a small bunch of muffins and rolls on the counter and smirked, "If you ask me, Thunderlane is more interested in getting back on the dancefloor with that Kelly human than he is getting into the Wonderbolts."

Thunderlane scoffed, "Ha! Yeah, right. Kelly was a great dancer, and she smells sweeter than Sugar Cube Corner, but I think we all know which stallion already has his hooves on her."

Giggling inappropriately, Stormwalker dropped a few bits on the counter and let Oven Fresh wrap up her order.

"Oh, please. Big Mac? That pony loves apples and apples alone. Not that he isn't a nice stallion, but come on. Remember the short-lived love affair between him and Miss Cheerilee? Although, if you believe the rumors of all the ladies chasing after him at the Summer Sun festival, that's another giveaway. Clearly, that guy isn't looking for a special somepony any more than he's looking to join the royal family."

"Nah," Thunderlane ignored the doubt and dropped his order on the counter while Oven Fresh got it ready to go. "You haven't spent any time with the guy to know him all that well."

He dropped his bits on the counter.

"Not that I've had much time with him, but from the few times I did, I can tell he's not just a stallion of few words. He's super into taking care of the farm and his family. And if you overheard what I did when Celestia and her guards were still in town, the fight he got into happened when they messed with both. One of the humans even got hurt during the scuffle, and I'm pretty sure it was Kelly. She didn't show it very often, but she was hurting during the dance. Big Mac has probably been taking care of her to make up for it. But if you saw them dancing at the end the other night, I can assure you, even if she isn't a pony, no mare holds a stallion like that unless they're in love."

Stormwalker rolled her eyes, "Oh, please. What do you know about a mare being in love with a stallion? Now Applejack and the Lumberman fella, that there is a couple just waiting to happen."

Thunderlane laughed out loud.

"Okay, now that there is definitely a couple waiting to happen. But I do hope we find a cure for that other mare, Becky. She had just as many eyes on her as Kelly did, and she'll need to be at full strength if she's going to need to fight off stallions like, uh… Chris? Yeah, Chris. That stud had mares swarming all over him, and he was totally into them."

"Yeah, right," Stormwalker laughed. "Those poor old mares probably just want a foal sitter. Now the other three stallions? Those are the real prize winners."

Thunderlane rolled his eyes at such an obvious overstatement.

"Okay, yeah. They might be more fit than Chris, but ain't no mare without a crown gonna get close to Cerberus with Rarity chasing them away."

From behind the counter, Oven Fresh giggled loud enough to draw the attention of her two customers.

"Oops. Sorry. I'm not trying to listen in on your conversation—" She levitated their orders into their satchels and closed them up. "—but not many saw that, I guess, but what do you think about the other two?"

Thunderlane nudged Stormwalker with his elbow.

"Yeah, Stormy? Which stud you gonna ask out?"

Stormwalker playfully shoved Thunderlane away and laughed.

"Jealous, much? But… I dunno. Even if they're not ponies, both are kinda cute in their own way. Thee… Ah… Bonny? Benny! Yeah, I can see a lot of mares asking him out since he's not as intimidating as Cerberus, but let's be real. Sniff wowed all the mares. Even Prim Posy ditched her would-be foal sitter to pick the poor guy off the dance floor when he got mobbed by the foals Chris should have been taking care of. And… Yeah, Sniff is gonna get snatched up before he knows what hit him… I could see myself taking him out on a date. He seems fun."

Thunderlane took a slow stride toward the door, "Ooooou, and you're going to be busy for the next two or three days." He made a mock sad face. "It looks like you're going to be stuck on the single's shelf till you're old and grey as the storm clouds you love to play with."

Stormwalker gasped, half insulted, but also laughed at the jab.

"Easy for you to say. We, ladies, have slim pickings when it comes to colts. Even slimmer when we have colts like you mixed into the bunch."

Thunderlane knew she was joking.

"Oh, Stormy, don't be envious of all the other mares I'm holding out for. Green is an ugly color on you." He looked up to Oven Fresh as he held the door open. "Oh, and thank you for breakfast. Wish I could bring enough to last the rest of the trip out there."

Before Stormwalker reached the door, she turned and waved with a wing to Oven Fresh.

"That's one thing me and wind-for-brains can agree on. And thank you."

Oven Fresh was already busy restocking her shelve of muffins.

"You're welcome, you two. Be safe out there. And don't you worry about going without some good dinner rolls while you're out there. I talked with Sniff yesterday when they were planning on how to feed everypony. From the sounds of it, one of the overwatch teams will be flying back and forth to send messages and pick up food and supplies they're going to need out there. They want me to provide the bread for everypony."

"Ooh?" Thunderlane playfully poked Stormwalker in the side, tickling her in the process. "Looks like some lucky bread mare is going to leave you stuck with Bonny."

Oven Fresh couldn't help but have a little giggle at the two.

"Be nice, Thunderlane. You're both going to find somepony someday. They're probably a lot closer than you think."

After the two left the bakery, Oven Fresh was left with her thoughts. Thoughts she quietly shared only to herself.

"Those two don't know how good they have it, and with everything they're looking for right at their hooves, they're still hopeless... What chance do I have?"

With the last tray of muffins set out on display, Oven Fresh returned to the kitchen. The blueberry scones were just about to be finished, and just like clockwork, she reached the oven just as soon as the alarm dinged.

As she pulled the baking sheet out, her front door opened to yet another early customer she would have to greet.

"Good morning! If you can wait out there for just a minute, I'll be right with you."

The odd set of hoof steps didn't exactly clop against the sales floor. It was more of a soft thud sound. Even the hoof steps walking in seemed to have their timing off. But then, it all made sense with the masculine voice that followed.

"Do I have to?"

Roseluck was still gloating to her two other Earth pony friends, Daisy and Lily Valley.

"I'm sorry, girls, I can't decide. Benny and Sniff are both good dancers and too handsome for me to decide. I'm still claiming both of them."

Lily played along, though she wasn't set on any human herself.

"You may have been the only one of us to have a solo dance with Sniff, but had some time with Cerberus and Chris."

Daisy had her own reasons to gloat.

"I could only mix in with Cerberus and Lumberman, but you should have seen the looks on all the stallion's faces when Kelly pulled me in for a dance. We didn't dance long until somepony else budded in, but oou… I've never seen a stallion look at me like that before."

Roseluck flicked her tail against Daisy's side.

"They were gawking at her, not you. Probably wondering how a weed snuck her way into such a lovely flower pot."

Daisy gasped, "A weed? Ha! I'm surprised any of them danced with you. You're as cuddly as a rose with thorns for pedals."

The three all laughed together, letting Roseluck come clean.

"Do any of you girls actually believe we have a chance to get with any of them? Because that last dance they shared with Twilight and the others… They all looked pretty close if you ask me."

Lily giggled, "Did you see Twilight try to push away at first? What's up with that?"

Roseluck laughed out loud and had to restrain herself, "Or did you see Pinkie launch herself onto Benny?"

"I did," Daisy said with a soft sigh. "But, I think you're all overlooking the last dance Applejack had with Lumberman."

Roseluck softened her smile as they continued on.

"Without a doubt, those two are an item."

A soft sigh marked Lily following suit, "Big Mac is off the market now, too. If you only saw Applejack in the last dance, you missed Kelly pushing herself for one last dance with Cheerilee's old flame… It makes you wonder what these humans have going on to make Nose In The Books Twilight not push away. Not to mention the two hardest working ponies in all of Equestria take an interest in something that isn't bucking apple trees?"

Daisy cocked her head with a curious look.

"You think it could have been the music and their free drinks? We don't normally do more than one coordinated song and dance routine every… What? One or three months apart? But even then, the last two songs any of us could have joined were coordinated, but nopony sang? Maybe it made everypony feel a little more romantic than they intended? We were all acting a little silly and kinda touchy-feely after we left that night."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Yooou were touchy-feely. I only gave you both a hug because we all had so much fun together that night, and you're both my best friends. But Roseluck's kiss—"

"It was only on your cheek," Roseluck huffed. "Seriously? What was I supposed to do? You hugged around me so tightly I couldn't hug back."

Daisy giggled, "And what about the kiss you gave me back in the house? Your hooves were free that time."

Roseluck snorted and giggled before whimsically answering, "Because you get so jealous sometimes" She watched Daisy's face sour. "And maybe I was caught up in the human's song you kept singing."

Daisy unsoured her face and started to glow with excitement.

"Oh, my gosh. Their music! I can't wait until their next party to hear what other music they have."

An out-of-place, feminine British voice spoke up from their sales stall.

"Are you talking about the music from the human's welcome party?"

Roseluck was the farthest ahead and the first to see Octavia waiting for them at their stall.

"Good Morning, Tavi. And yes, we're still talking about it. After helping Benny and the others get prepared for their trip in the Everfree, we couldn't help but think about it."

Octavia's smile wilted slightly, "Such a terrible ordeal they all have fallen in. They wouldn't say much about Becky's condition, the sweet thing that she is. Makes me feel terrible for not being of more help to them. About all I could do in the end was offer my old pair of binoculars."

Lily started to open the stall and pull out some of their bouquets.

"It must be something terrible if Benny is going to stay in that creepy old Castle of the Two Sisters. You know the old stories about that place being haunted after Nightmare Moon was banished?"

Octavia shuttered at the thought.

"I honestly don't know which is worse. Having to stay in that castle or brave the Everfree like Cerberus volunteered to do. And with Fluttershy of all ponies."

Daisy eased her way back into the stall with some doubt.

"I don't know about that. Fluttershy certainly can be a pushover, but I was there after Iron Will got his nubby little paws on her. Now that was a scary pony." Her mind drifted back to something more appealing. "Do you think they'll throw another party when they get back? Like some kind of victory party or whatever they might want to call it?"

Octavia didn't smile but seemed to have a pleased look about her as she thought.

"Well, if Pinkie Pie is going out with them, and we all know how she can be, I wouldn't put it past her to throw something together. I just hope we're all invited."

Roseluck swooned, "I hope we can dance again."

Octavia grinned, "I won't lie; the dance with Benny was surprisingly pleasant. But I'm also very interested in hearing more of his music."

She started to swoon the same as Roseluck had.

"There are so many layers to it. Not like the instrumentations I orchestrate or the wubs Vinyl thumps out of her speakers. Their mixture of drums, horns, the electronic elements that blend so magically together with the vocals. The sounds just overtake your senses, and before you know, you're moving, your rump and Benny's hands are sliding down your side and over your hips and—" She embarrassingly realized too late that she had said too much."—you know? The music and those dangerously delicious mint drinks of theirs. They really changed the feel of the whole night."

Roseluck cocked an eyebrow and gave a puzzled look.

"Wasn't the first song you danced with him all electronic and no instruments?"

Daisy couldn't ignore Octavia's display.

"Tsk." She inhaled through her teeth. "Guuuurl, you got it bad."

Octavia rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh, "I know… Not that anything would ever become of it."

Lily walked up and put a hoof over Octavia's shoulder.

"Don't be like that, Tavi. Daisy was just having a little fun with you. We've been joking with each other since the morning after the dance. There's nothing to be ashamed about for having a crush on Benny or any of the other new stallions in town. Heck, Roseluck still can't pick between Sniff or Benny."

Octavia took another deep breath and respectfully pushed Lily's hoof away.

"While I appreciate the kind words, it doesn't do anything to change my position. A boring old mare who's already married to her music and still can't even afford a place of her own?" She looked at the three flower mares who all shared a home as well. "No offense about sharing a place to live, but that doesn't do well for two ponies that need time alone to get to know each other… Or a mare and a human stallion."

That was a harsh reality Roseluck wasn't ready for.

"Well… The humans are so incredibly sweet. I doubt they'd let something like that stop them from getting to know us better." She could see her vote of confidence wasn't winning anypony over. "Okay, girls. We're all being silly and overdramatic about all of this. This isn't something so bad like forgetting to cover your flowers before a frost sets in."

Daisy shuttered as if the cold weather was already upon them, "Oh… The horror."

Lily, meanwhile, had gone back to the stall and finished opening.

"Tavi, if it makes you feel any better, we all feel like we're in the same boat. After all, look at who all the humans are with? Not a single one of those ponies are struggling street vendors or seasonal workers… Except maybe Rainbow Dash? She literally works the seasons as our weather mare."

Roseluck rolled her eyes and stepped up to correct the situation.

"Tavi… This has been a weird couple of days for all of us. Even weirder when you stop to think that seven strange creatures showing up out of the blue got so many of us to realize that being single isn't fun. But for us mares, there's five of those human stallions that got some of us going special somepony crazy. But if you stop and think about it, if all five of those humans end up bagging themselves a special somepony, that just freed up five local studs for the rest of us. And if any of us have a shot of landing a husband anytime soon, it's you."

Lily nodded along, thought it was bittersweet to admit.

"Tavi, we all know you should be in Canterlot. Sure, it's full of snooty unicorns and Earth ponies that think they're better than everypony else. Still, you've always carried yourself with the class and prestige that they do. Only, you're not a jerk about it."

"Thank you for saying that." Octavia started to smile a little again. "But don't count yourselves out either. And… well… I'm sorry. You girls are still so young and bright. Certainly, better dancers than I ever was. But enough of feeling sorry for ourselves. I came here to pick up three bouquets of your most potent flowers."

"Potent?" Roseluck asked. "You're not looking for any particular color or type?"

What little smile Octavia had quickly faded into a look of disgust.

"No. Vinyl has been up at all hours trying to recreate the human's style of music. And, while she's done rather well, she hasn't bathed or cleaned up after herself, and the smell is starting to bother me."

All three of the flower mares snickered for a moment before bursting into laughter. Octavia huffed angrily, but after another second of thinking about it, even she finally started to laugh along.

Lily started to pull a few batches of flowers together.

"Thanks, Tavi. I think we all needed that, so don't you worry. We've got exactly what you need."

As the four mares laughed and joked about Vinyl and prospective human partners, Lyra and Bon Bon were heading towards Twilight's Castle with Lyra still asking questions.

"What if the ghost stories there are true? Do you know how to fight a ghost? Are ghosts even real?! You have to tell me if you know."

Bon Bon rolled her eyes and grunted as she trotted along, "I don't know if the Castle of the Two Sisters is haunted. And yes, ghosts are real. Probably."

"Probably?" Lyra gasped. "Do you know how to fight a ghost?"

"No," Bon Bon continued. "There's a special team for that… Probably. And stop worrying so much. I've been in the Everfree tons of times, and even some places much worse." She rolled her eyes, already hearing the follow-up question. "And yes, there are places worse than the Everfree."

"Really?" Lyra asked, doubtful but also curious.

"Yes," Bon Bon grumbled. "Probably. It depends on who you ask. Which! You need to stop doing because this is all supposed to be secret. But given how dangerous this is, that's why I'm going, and you're staying. You're better at talking with ponies, and your targets appear to be just as socially well-adjusted as ponies, so try to get close to them."

Lyra trotted a little closer and lowered her voice, "I thought you said the humans were the most dangerous creatures you've ever heard of. How can they be ranked so high for danger to ponies, yet you can say they're socially well-adjusted enough to be a pony?"

Bon Bon stopped and glared down to Lyra.

"We don't know why they're here or what they're planning. If they are deceiving us, then they need to be kept calm and in the dark that Celestia or any pony else might suspect anything."

Lyra didn't like Bon Bon's tone and was, in fact, a little hurt by it.

"Bon Bon, why is it that only Celestia is reviewing our work? Everything in the manual says that any branch reports are reviewed by both her and Luna. Even the fact that we're not allowed to work with the other branches or get help seems incredibly unsafe. Maybe even unethical considering how much of a risk they pose to Equestria if your fears are accurate. And I don't think they're a threat to us at all. They're not doing anything any of the training material you gave me said would indicate hostile intentions."

Bon Bon did her best to repress her frustration as she tried to explain.

"Lyra… Even the most advanced training you can get in this organization doesn't cover everything. Not everything goes the way you think it will, and every once in a while, something new pops up that you can't explain based on everything else you've seen or studied. So when you're with them, please, trust your gut. But never forget that you have to follow your orders, even if you don't understand them. There's always a plan. Celestia knows what she's doing. Even when what you think your doing is wrong, there's a bigger picture you can't see until all the other pieces are painted around your contribution."

Lyra took a moment to process everything she was being told before she put her thoughts together.

"Right… There's always a plan, follow orders, and trust my gut… And right now, my gut is telling me you should probably walk yourself to Twilight's castle."

"Lyra?" Bon Bon feared she was too stern with her best friend. "I'm not mad at you. I'm just—"

"You're just looking out for me," Lyra coldly answered as she turned herself around and started a leisurely pace back. "We're best friends, Bon Bon. But if we're going to make this operation work, we need to stop being seen together so much when it involves your targets. You're learning too much too fast. And if I'm going to win their trust just as fast, they're likely to suspect that I'm being used as a distraction. And if they really do know too much about us, they'll likely know that you're not the kind of pony that would want to be around them. That's what I'm good at and why you got everypony to vote for me to dance with Sniff."

"Lyra?" Bon Bon asked a lot of questions by just saying her friend's name.

She would have ran back after her friend to straighten things out, but even if her friend's words had been said out of spite… they were true. So, working together on this was likely to mean they would be spending more time apart.

As Lyra headed back home alone, she happened to cross paths with Vinyl Scratch.

"Morning, Vinyl. What are you doing up so early?"

Vinyl smiled and nodded, blissfully unaware of the question being asked, her headphone on full blast.

Lyra rolled her eyes and lifted off Vinyl's blaring headphones with her magic.

"Hey!" Vinyl shouted. "What gives?! I was listening to that!"

Lyra grinned, "I wanted to make sure you were positive about giving me those thousand bits you just shook your head and agreed to."

"I what?!" Vinyl yelped, shocked to hear what she accidentally agreed to.

"I'm kidding," Lyra said, returning the headphones around Vinyl's neck. "I asked you why you were up this early. You're usually asleep until about lunchtime. And you answered by just nodding your head."

"Oh," Vinyl sheepishly grinned. "Sorry. I totally spaced out listening to my new tunes. And I didn't wake up this early, I haven't even slept yet. I've been up since the welcome party trying to recreate the music the humans shared, but I ran out of snacks and thought I pick something up to keep me going."

"You're not going to try getting any sleep?" Lyra asked, but then a sudden shift in the wind alerted her to a more immediate concern. "Ugh! Forget sleep. You need a bath."

"Oh, yeah," Vinyl huffed with a grin. "No time for sleep when I'm banging out all these banging tunes."

Lyra took a step back, "Uck. The only thing banging is your body odor. You're not planning on putting on a show smelling like that, are you?"

"Not until I can get at least one track down," Vinyl insisted. "I need to get that sound down perfect if I'm going to get every pony's booty shaking. Especially if I'm going to get Benny back on the dance floor with me. Oh! And speaking of smells, sorry about mine, but did you get a whiff of Benny's scent? Talk about easy on the nose, am I right?"

Lyra paused for a moment.

"Um… I danced with Sniff. Not Benny… but he did smell pretty good. Not overpowering like most colognes stallions wear. It was… yeah. He smelt incredibly nice. He was nice. Not just a nice dancer; he was so nice to me. They're all nice." She stared at Vinyl with an almost sad look. "Are there any ponies that are afraid of them or think they're here to hurt us?"

Vinyl busted up laughing.

"How many of them have you actually met? Those humans are awesome," she declared proudly. "You remember how great Derpy was dancing with Chris? That was them! They pulled her aside and taught her how to dance without crashing into everypony like a wrecking ball. Then the last two dances? That wasn't planned by Pinkie at all. Just like Sniff said, they wanted to show how much they appreciated everything those ponies have been doing for them. And the very last song the Lumber guy had with Apples? You should have seen how nervous he was to ask. And he just wanted to do it because she got hurt when those stupid jerks that got sent to the dungeons attacked their friend Kelly. He wouldn't say it, but I think they hurt Kelly a lot worse than what everypony is letting on. Because, I'm not sure if you noticed that drink they gave Kelly during the dance, but that wasn't any normal drink. I've been to enough crazy parties that I know a featherweight potion when I see one. And hearing Dash scream out like that only proves my point. Kelly was hurting, and they needed something to keep her from straining herself. She was so much lighter on her hooves after she drank that."

Lyra thought about that for a moment. She had noticed the drink but hadn't put much thought into it. And thinking about it, for all the information they were given about the humans, there was very little information about the ponies first contact with the humans. There wasn't much about the attack or the events that took place that night either. Maybe only a page of info for the day after with Celestia.

"How do you feel about them being here?" Lyra asked, now taking more interest in Vinyl's input.

"Uh, duh?" Vinyl jokingly answered. "I'm trying to learn how to make their music and get another party going with them. Buck it, I might even ask Benny out for a night out on the town in Fillydelphia. Those ponies really know how to party. Might just make him my special somepony. Never had one of those before. Might be fun to have one for once. But that's only if Tavi doesn't want 'em. Poor girl gets the biggest smile on her face when I find a beat that's even close to the song they danced to. I told her to ask him out, but she just pouts and tells me I'm stupid for even bringing it up. That girl needs some more confidence. Not just with getting a colt, she could do so much more if she didn't keep shooting her goals down low, like living in Ponyville makes her unworthy of striving for more. No, you know what. I'm gonna do what I can to make it happen. That one has an appreciation for music. I know a pony with good taste in music when I see them dance to it… You're not afraid of them, are you?"

"No," Lyra honestly answered. "Maybe at first."

It wasn't a gotcha question, nor was Vinyl given an answer she couldn't shrug off.

"Yeah, I can understand that. Especially with that Cerberus guy. That colt is huge. Kinda reminds me of Bulk. That pegasus is the biggest pony I know, but he's also one of the nicest ponies I know. He could crush a boulder with his hooves, but all he does is lift weights and help out around town. They're just different from us because of how they look. They're like ponies on two legs and no hooves. There's no reason to not be cool about this. They are."

It was then Lyra decided she would follow her orders and her gut.

"Yeah, you're right. They're good ponies… even if they're not actually ponies. I should do what I can to help them out."

"Yeah!" Vinyl shouted. "Now you're getting it."

Just then, Cheerilee was passing by.

"Morning, Vinyl. Morning, Lyra. You're both up early."

Lyra, reluctant to admit the truth, said, "Yeah, I was just seeing Bon Bon off. She's helping with the efforts in the Everfree."

"Oh, yes," Cheerilee commented cheerfully. "That's very kind of you. Going into the Everfree or even the castle of the Two Sisters, that's so incredibly brave of them. I feel so sorry for Chris, who won't be able to participate, though. What with Becky being sick and all, but at least he'll be safe with us around. At least I hope he will be staying with us. Actually, come to think of it, Lyra. I was going to see you about Chris helping with my class. The students just adore the big lug." Something in the air passed her nose. "Did some pony forget to take the trash out?"

"Ha!" Vinyl had no shame. "Yeah, I haven't cleaned up in a while. Been working nonstop to make some music that sounds more like what the humans shared."

She ignored the fact that she stunk and cozied up to Cheerilee to brush shoulders and give a few nudges with her elbow.

"Maybe get your Chris back on the dance floor, huh? Maybe next time it won't be so crowded?"

"Maybe," Cheerilee answered semi-agreeably, trying not to breathe through her nose. "Right now, I'm here just to give my moral support. I did all I could yesterday. Having so many students over the years, I've studied a lot of dangers they might run into. All sorts of nasty beasts that roam wild out in the Everfree."

Vinyl bobbed her head up and down for a bit like she couldn't stop agreeing with Cheerilee, but really her mind was already wandering.

"Wow… I just noticed how nice it can be actually talking to random ponies on the street. You chicks are pretty cool. We should hang out sometime."

Cheerilee grinned, passively hoping her agreeability would motivate Vinyl to move on to somepony else, "Well, if you don't mind sitting downwind, we can hang out and wait for Cerb to lead everypony out to the Everfree. Me and some of the students wanted to give them a nice send-off."

"Cool," Vinyl answered with renewed excitement. "Think I got time to run back and take a shower?"

Lyra gave a sigh of relief. "If you hurry up and leave right now—"

"Egh, I'll just do it later," Vinyl blurted out. "I still need to grab something to eat anyway. I wonder if the flower shop is open."

So, this was meant to be put out yesterday, but I missed the mark after some friends stopped over and... well... we turned splitting one beer into polishing off a bottle of Gentlemen Jack.

Anyway, this was my attempt to fulfill a request by Mr Cold Ghost. Not sure if I did his request justice, because I didn't have a place to fit in reactions to the movies, but I got a lot of reactions to the music in there. Also took advantage of the interactions to fit in a few other goodies.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this bonus interlude, and stay tuned for the next full chapter tomorrow.