"Lantra!"

I leapt straight up, the ornate glass bow I had nearly finished smashing as I fumbled and dropped it. I spun around, glaring at Twilight. "Why are you in my house?"

"Because you weren't answering your door."

"And?"

"Well I was knocking and knocking, and you never answered, so I came in to see if you were ok."

"...My workshop is in a basement for a reason."

"Because then you can work in a consistent, cool temperature? That's why my study is underground."

"So I won't be bothered."

"...oh. ...Lantra..."

"Yes?" I swept up the pieces of glass, still angry about losing that piece. It had been turning out perfect...

"You're worrying us... You've been inside for a long time now." she looked around. "Or rather, you've been down here the whole time."

"Oh? You've been spying?"

"No. There are no hoofprints in the dust upstairs. How long have you been down here then?"

I casually threw out the glass, the motion and noise making me sway slightly. "Depends..." My eye wouldn't stop twitching again! I focused on it, draining its entorpy into a bottle by the door, which grew a spiderweb crack out of nowhere.

"On what?"

"The day."

She stepped back slightly, looking shocked. "But, there's no bed down here!"

"And?" I was back at square one on this bow... I'ld do it later.

"Where do you sleep!?"

"I don't need to." I could feel Twilight watching me. "What?"

"Lantra... What's the matter?"

"Nothing, I'm just busy."

"Don't lie to me." I stopped my work, but didn't say anything, letting the silance drag. "Lantra, we're your friends. We care about you, and we're not going to let you just change like this and ignore you."

I was silent for a while longer, then turned back to truly look at her. "I'm sorry... You're right. I just can't face everything yet..."

"That's what your friends are for- to be there to lean on. Now, you're going to come upstairs with me."

"Twilight, I'm not ready. Can't you stay here with me for now?"

"Nope. Now come up, or I'll let Pinkie come down."

"You wouldn't."

She opened the lower door and called up the stairwell. "Pinkie!"

There was a spring-like noise, and the pink mare was at the bottom of the steps. "Yeees?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I gave Twilight a playful glare for laughing at me on my way by. All my friends were waitin garound party decorations.

"SURPRISE!"

"Is it a surprise if I saw it before you said anything, Pinkie?"

"Did you know it was up here?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then, SURPRISE!"

I had to shake my head slightly as I wandered into the mass of ponies. To my disappointment, Vinyl wasn't playing, or even there. Oh well...

"Excuse me, Lantra?"

"Ah, hello Rarity."

She shifted slightly from hoof to hoof. "Were you much troubled at leaving Canterlot?" I could tell this was not exactly what sh ereally wanted to ask, and guessed at her true intent.

"Not at all. I have been commmissioned for a quite large, expensive set of work by someone very high up. But I never said that, all right? I do not want the attention."

The socialite's eyes lit up at this news, smelling gossip from a mile off. "Oh? Come now, you can at least tell me who put in the order."

"Sorry, I don't even know her name."

She looked scandalized. "You didn't ask!?"

"I was asking for anonymety from her, how could I not give her the same?"

"Perhapse, but I'm sur eyou can tell me something." She fluttered her absurdly long eyelashes in what she seemed to think was an alluring gesture.

I leaned in close to her. "Rarity, I prefer to not come up in gossip, and when I do... Don't try to out gossip someone like me who naturally knows things like what you and Hoity Toity were up to that night."

Her seduction attempt turned into shocked terror in an instant. "Y-you- who did you tell!?"

"No one. I don't hurt my friends like that. I merely was expressing why I am better off staying out of gossip, and help others will do the same for me."

"Oh yes, of course!" She gave a nervous little laugh. "Such a thing never crossed my mind. I don't- yes, Sweetie?"

"Ummm..." Sweetie Bell scuffed her hoof on the floor. I smiled at her slightly.

"What did you three decide to foolishly try now?"

She looked down further, mumbling. "Louder, Sweetie dear."

"We were being pro wrestlers, and we..."

"...You what, Sweetie?"

"She broke the window."

"How did you-"

"YOU WHAT!?"

"I'm sorry!"

I reached down, resting a hoof on Sweetie's head. "I'll fix it, but maybe you should try listening to me next time when I tell you that's not the way..."

"Ok... Will you try to help us then?"

I hesitated. I couldn't vouch to that, but... I could remember the taunting of a blank flank, even in my own time, when you had to grow up so much faster. "We'll see. Let's go see to the window."

"YOu're not leaving your own party, are you!?"

I blinked into the huge blue eyes. When did she- not going there... "I have a job, Pinkie."

"But we only just got started! Work can wait!"

I shot Rarity a look, and she rolled her eyes, but gave a tiny nod. "All right. I'll stop by after the party. And I'll talk to you later, Sweetiebelle."

I weaved off inot the main party, trying not to laugh at the arguement I was leaving behind. ...I really didn't know anypony here... When did I give Pinkie permission to throw a party in MY house!? ...Well, she's meant well...

My attention was again diverted by a sudden outbreak of excted muttering. Working my way to the door, I could quickly spot why- a certain grey mare had walked in. My heart couldn't help jumping, until I saw the dark black stallion she was with. I moved closer without being seen.

"Why are we out here in the middle of nowhere, baby?" His voice grated on me. I couldn't pinpoint what it was, but something about him intrinsically disturbed me.

"One of my best friends lives here."

"Derpy, seriously? This is a nothing town." I noticed several of the surrounding ponies glaring at him now, but Wolf seemed oblivious to anything outside himself. "Come on, let's go back and hit a real party." Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Pinkie on top of my cupboard giving Wolf a hard look that actually was stretching her eyeball. I was too distracted to care though. "We can get a private car on the way back..." I seethed as he not-too surreptitiously rubbed her flank. Before she could respond aside from her immediate flush I stepped into view at an angle that "accidentally" put my crest on display.

"Derpy!" I forced my voice to sound happy. "You finally have a day off?"

Wolf threw a dirty look at me over Derpy's shoulders as she wrapped me in a hug, but my crest had indeed intimitated him. "Yep! It's great to see you, Lan!" She giggled as she stepped back, but the laughter died as he gave her a look. Something wasn't right here...

"Come on, Derpy! I want to show you the big project I'm working on!"

"Ok!" She bounced along with me to the workshop stairs. I let her go down first, throwing out a hoof to stop Wolf.

"Sorry, top secret."

"Yeah, ok. You play with glass. Secret blown. Move."

"No. You can wait here, and we will be back in a bit."

"Excuse me? You are not going off alone somewhere with my special somepony."

I bit back my retort and forced a smile. It ended up turning out sadistic, but I didn't care. "Actually, I am. And for the record, when I am working on a top secret project, the stairway booby traps itself behind me- just a friendly warning." I stepped back and shut the door in his face, then hurried down the stairs. I could hear him about to follow me, when another voice accosted him. "A REAL PARTY!? YOU WANT TO TELL ME WHAT COULD BE A BETTER PARTY THAN THIS!?" I chuckled quietly as I descended. I might have lied about the traps auto-engaging, but not about the traps themselves. By the time I reached my workshop, I was hoping he'd try to follow me.

I found Derpy staring in awe at the sculptures I'd been making for the coronation. "They're beautiful Lan!" She stared at a massive glass heart, inlaid with pink and red, with an accentuating gold inlay. "How do you do it?"

I beamed, her praise meaning mor ethan any other pony's could. "It's really far easier than it looks. I just take the fact that glass really is a liquid, and effect it as such. Thus I can bend it to shapes. As I go, I use my usual etching to add color, then close it in on itself. See? Easy!"

Derpy's face was wrinkled in a cute frown. "Glass is a liquid?"

"Indeed! One of the most viscous in existence."

"Vis... Vish... What?"

"Viscous. It means how slowly a liquid flows. For isntance, blood is more viscous than water."

"Oh! and molasses is more vicious than syrup?"

"Viscous, Derpy, but yes! Glass is so slow moving that it comes across as a brittle solid. But if you look at old glass, you can see where it has gone wavy. That is because the liquid is really running."

"Cool!" Derpy frowned at the various pieces again. "That still doesn't sound easy..."

"Ok, ok... So it's still really tough, but well worth the effort. But, guess what's teh best part of all this stuff!"

"Ummm... You found a special somepony?"

"No, no." ...That'd hurt more than I could let show... "Though with how many involve hearts, I can see where that thought came from. This is all one order. Not even half of it yet, too!"

"One order!?" Derpy stared around wide eyed, shock actually making her eyes act in unison for once. "Lan, that's awesome! Congratulations!" She leapt at me, hugging me.

"Thank you! But, here's the thing. I've seen what fame is like from you, and I don't wnat that. I want anonymity. But, this is for a big event- you'll probably get to see it. But when you do, you cannot tell anyone where it came from. I'm trusting you on this, Derpy. You can't tell what I've made to anypony, not even Wolf or a princess. Please?"

"I promise. But, why show me this then?"

"Because I wanted to share my pride and work with you."

"Ok." She hugged me again. "We should get back- Wolf will be worried..."

"Derpy... are you... happy with him?"

"Of course I am!" We were starting back up the stairs, I undoing my traps as we went.

"But his attitude... and the way he acts towards you..."

Derpy's happy attitude was suddenly gone. "He's a wonderful stallion, Lantra. He's very caring to me, and in all things, and I don't need to put up with your unecessary worrying. I'm not a filly you need to watch over."

"Of course you're not!" I sighed deeply. "I just worry about my best friend."

Derpy relaxed again some. "I know... What are these blades in the wall from?"

"Automatic security system to protect the order. Somepony didn't listen to my warning."

"Oh..."

We exited into the light, and I was shoved aside instantly. "Come on, Derpy. We are going home."

"But-"

"No buts. Come along." He shot me a glare, pulling derpy away, still protesting. I raised an eyebrow at his glare, letting one of the knives that had almost hit him spiral over my back, returning to its sheath. His eyes went wide, and he hurried off.

"What was that about?"

"...There's something wrong with him, Twilight."

"You noticed too?"

"How could I not?"

I sighed. "Her choices are her choices."

"I suppose... Soooo, when do we start our lessons?"

"..."

"You promised!"

"Ok, ok... I can give you a short lesson after the party, and then I have to go do some work, all right?"

"Ok!" I watched her bounce off into the crowd. ...At least she was happy... I knew I wasn't even going to notice the rest of this party...


So, the chapters I had pre-prepped are all done now, and I'm working on the next chapter. Hopefully everyone is enjoying them!

I do not own MLPFIM.