She stared into the mirror, and wide blue eyes stared back. She shook her head, suddenly, as if in disbelief, but when she looked back the eyes were still there—as was the rest of her. Hesitating, she bit her lip and then continued running the brush through her mane one final time.

“Jeez, you coooming?” called a voice from the door behind her, and she let out a sharp sigh.

“Yes, yes, just a second!” she called back and, huffing, she set the brush down and slid a small black clip into her mane. Giving it a nod of approval, she stepped away from the sink and turned to open the door.

As the bathroom door swung open, she was met with the eager face of a mint green unicorn not a few inches from her muzzle, with two other mares standing around behind her in the kitchen.

“Lyra, I swear to Celestia, if you keep using my house key to just come in here whenever, I’m going to take it away,” she pouted. “It’s supposed to be for emergencies.”

“But Flaaaash, this was an emergency!” Lyra countered with a smirk. “What else were we supposed to do, wait outside? You weren’t responding—what if you died or something?”

As she stepped out the door and past Lyra, Flash Sentry turned specifically to roll her eyes at the unicorn. “Mare, whatever. You girls ready to go, or what?”

The other two mares—who at that moment had been putzing about the kitchen, looking out the window and such—looked back and laughed.

“Sure are, Flashie,” said the orange earth pony, running a hoof through her poofy verdant mane with a friendly grin.

“I can’t believe I got up early for this...” the pink pegasus moaned as she hovered just inches off the linoleum. “Let’s just go already, I am starved.”

“Heh... alright, Aria, alright,” Flash exhaled, stepping out from the kitchen into a small living room with just a couch and a portrait of a nondescript unicorn on the far wall. “Sorry to keep you all waiting.”

“’Sall good!” the orange mare replied, bounding after her as she opened the front door of the apartment. “H’ain’t got much else to do, ya feel?”

“I’m sure that’s reassuring,” Lyra said with a sarcastic roll of her eyes. She followed, however, and soon the four mares were outside, Flash locking her apartment door as the others watched. With a click and a whistle, she replaced the key in her saddlebag and the four of them trotted clankily down the metal stairs to the cobble road below.

“Soooo... hayburgers?” the orange mare floated.

“Cookie, that’s not really brunch.” Lyra tapped her chin. “Though I guess it is after noon...”

“Nope, nope, nope,” Aria objected, kicking aimlessly at the ground. “Brunch or nothing, that’s the deal.”

Flash nodded. “I’m all in for pancakes, I can’t change my mind now.”

“Then off to the Pancake Parlour it is!” Lyra declared, raising a hoof and pointing it forward down the lane. The others followed as she took her first few steps—or, well, all of them but one.

“...Isn’t it the other way?” Aria tilted her head pointedly as the others turned around. Lyra, for her part, facehoofed.

“Look, it’s been a while,” the mint green unicorn protested, but that didn’t stop the others from giggling as they all turned and lazily followed Aria who was flapping along ahead.

---

“...And I guess the whole thing just had me wondering—why in Celestia’s name would he do that, anyway? What would compel a stallion to do such a thing?”

Smart Cookie trotted slowly beside her friend. “Pfff, Lyra, I’m pretty sure ya know why.”

“But, like, really?” Lyra let out an exasperated sigh. “That’s what I thought first, but he’s never shown any signs of being into me, yanno? Like, I’m not dumb, I can tell. And I just never got that vibe here.”

Cookie hummed. “Well, I dunno. ’Sjust what it seems like from an outside perspective, just this one thing, but I guess I don’t got the whole picture.”

Flash Sentry watched her two friends ahead of her, talking, and even that very fact was enough to bring a smile to her lips. She hung around the back of the group, trotting silently behind—but it made her happy to see her friends smiling and talking and even arguing amongst themselves. That, if nothing else, was her favourite part of their weekly outing. Though, of course, the brunch didn’t hurt.

Aria walked alone too—or, well, hovered. But she led the group forward, evidently focused on their destination more than the journey. Flash admired that about her, even if she loved the little afternoon walk herself. And it really was lovely; the sidestreet they trotted down was small enough that only occasionally would a carriage roll by and yet the sun shone down from above and the brick façade apartments were lined with planters. Violets, zinnias, lavender, and other flowers Flash didn’t recognise added a splash of spring colour.

“—I just don’t want to come off as, y’know, a bitch. If he does actually feel like that, I mean, ’cause if he did then wouldn’t I kinda be in hot water?” Lyra buzzed on.

“Eh, don’t worry ’bout it,” Cookie replied. “He’d understand. Plus in any case even if he didn’t, don’t you only got a coupla more weeks at that place, anyway?”

Flash blinked and opened her mouth as if to say something, but Aria got there faster. “Whaddaya mean only a couple more weeks?” the pink pegasus demanded, stopping and spinning around in the air. “You quitting or something?”

Lyra gave a little nervous laugh. “How about we talk about it when we get there and seated?”

Aria snorted. “Well, I’m in luck. We’re here.”

And indeed they were; before them was the familiar old-timey “Pancake Parlour” sign hanging off the front of the building over the door. It was a small, homely little brick building; it fit in perfectly with the rest of the neighbourhood. Aria went ahead, holding the door open, and the other three trotted one by one into the establishment.

Flash could see a few filled tables here and there, but it was nowhere near as busy as it might have been a few hours earlier, at least if past visits were anything to go by. The low light and stained wood walls gave the whole place a cosy ambiance, something that felt more closed in than the verdant spring outside but no less comfortable.

“Hey, Lyra,” came a voice from ahead, and by leaning over Flash could see a familiar cream-coloured muzzle. “Four?”

“As always,” the unicorn replied with a smile. “How you guys doing today, Bonnie? Not too busy, I hope?”

“Nah, not too bad,” Bon Bon replied, leading the group around a row of booths. “Even breakfast was slow—I think there’s a hoofball game out in Avapon or something.”

“Yeah, Queens against the Rockies,” Cookie offered. “Supposed to be a blowout.”

“Sounds like a real hoot. Alright, corner booth good?” They’d stopped at the far corner, and Bon Bon turned around to look at the group.

“That’s terrific, thanks,” Lyra assured her, and she slid past and onto the bench. The other three mares took their seats, and smiled up at Bon Bon who had pulled out a notepad.

“Anything different than the usual?” she asked.

“No coffee for me,” Aria grunted. “Too late in the day. Just water instead, please.”

“Gotcha.”

Flash stretched out her hooves. “Could I have a side of hashbrowns?”

“Yeah, of course. Anything else?” Bon Bon looked over to Lyra, who looked to Smart Cookie.

“Nah, I think we’re good. Same ol’, same ol’,” Lyra assured her. “Thanks, Bonnie.”

“Save it for when I bring your food!” The earth pony trotted off, leaving the mares in the booth in silence.

“Sooo...” Aria cut in, after a moment. “What’s this about quitting?”

Lyra wore a sheepish grin; Smart Cookie’s sideways glance was encouraging. Flash couldn’t help but laugh; it was always so good to see her friends just talking, feeling, being. The sun shone in from a side window, casting a warm light over the centre of the table between them.

---

“Well, okay, that’s not what I was expecting,” Aria said through bites of Prench toast. “But that’s still pretty damn neat.”

“Yeah, I feel really lucky,” Lyra said, beaming. Her plate was already almost clean, or at least as clean as a syrup-encrusted plate can be. “I’ve definitely dreamed of this opportunity before, but... when I submitted that application I really was just doing it for bucks.”

“Aw, don’t sell yaself short!” Cookie leaned over to nuzzle the unicorn. “Like, this is what your degree is in! It’s not like they’re just randomly pluckin’ ya off the street or nothing.”

“It’s super awesome,” Flash heard herself say. “The Royal Archives... wow. I visited once when I was just a filly, and I remember just how... huge it seemed.”

“It sure is a spectacle,” Lyra said, humming. Her magic aglow, she grabbed the final bite of her pancake with her fork and rubbed it all around in the syrupy film before popping the thing in her muzzle. “Goddess, I might even get to travel, to find things for the collection. I mean, if they think I’d be good at that,” she quickly added.

“I’m sure it’ll go great,” Aria said with an uncharacteristically warm smile. “I’m happy for you, you know? You’ve been chasing something like this for so long, stuck in that stupid job at the refinery, and now you’re actually gonna be able to do it. It’s cool.”

Lyra was drinking from her glass of water, and at that, she made a show of nearly choking. “Whoa, what? Aria Blaze, actually being happy for someone? Colour me shocked!”

Aria scowled. “Just trying to be nice for my friend... why do I even bother?”

Lyra laughed, elbowing the pegasus lightly. “Only teasing. Really, that means a lot.”

Cookie tapped her chin. “What colour would shocked even be, anyway?”

Aria rolled her eyes, Lyra boffed Cookie’s green nest of a mane with a hoof, and Flash just sat there, watching the three of them, and she giggled along. She hadn’t been expecting Lyra’s little announcement, but she was so happy for her. Lyra had never given up, even through all of that.

Suddenly, Flash remembered something. “Oh, horseapples!”

Aria glanced over. “What’s up?”

Flash shook her head, already making to stand up from the booth. “Ugh, I totally forgot—I’m really sorry, girls... I have an appointment I really need to get to or else I’m gonna be late.” She glanced up at the clock on the wall, and sighed. “Scratch that, I’m definitely going to be late.”

“Oh, yikes.” Lyra frowned. “Well, uh, okay! It was really nice to see you, Flash, glad you could make it at least. Still on for next week?”

“Yeah, should be fine,” Flash replied. “Again, I’m really sorry. I do wanna say congrats again, though—I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you so much,” Lyra said.

“Great to see you!” Smart Cookie beamed.

“Later, skater.” Aria waved a hoof.

The ochre mare dropped a few bits on the table and gave a small nod before quickly stepping away. The bell chimed as she slid out the front door, and then Flash Sentry was gone.

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