Author's Note
Inspired by this chapter.
Also, no spoilers for the story so no mention of certain things!
No, Mother...
“It was so much fun to see you all again!” Lyra shouted to the mares as they left her family's home in Canterlot. With a sigh of relief she moved back into the house and closed the door with her magic as she fell into the soft plush microfiber couch that formed to her contours with their cloud cushions.
A deep sigh escaped her as the ache from her knees down tingled with relief from the weight. A quiet gurgle inside Lyra’s belly was the icing on the cake as a burp escaped her lips and she smiled contentedly at a successful visit from old friends.
That was when the joy ended.
“So, are they different as well, or are you going to convey that you don't consort with others of your kind?”
“Mom, please. Not right now, I'm not in the mood,” Lyra answered as her cheerful mood soured. “I just saw two of my oldest friends after years of writing letters. Can't I just have this moment?”
Lyra didn't look at her mother to know that the elder had raised her snout indignantly. “Well, perhaps if you had a stallion with a fine job you could afford to come up the mountain,” Lyra rolled from the couch and walked past her mother, “and see your parents and friends more often. Don't you trot away from me, young filly.”
Lyra grumbled under her breath. “I'm not a filly.”
“You certainly act like one. You have no right to invite your kind to my house and sully the good image of me and your father.”
Lyra frowned as she reached the base of the stairs but kept her voice level.
“Mother, the world is a different place than it was when you were young. I don't only have friends that are gay. Nearly all my friends are straight and-”
“That's great, perhaps you can learn something from them. You know, like how to treat your mother and find a nice-”
Lyra stomped a hoof on the second stair and glowered. “Shut up, mother! Sweet Celestia, do you ever get tired of hearing yourself speak?! There's more to this world, land, city, and house than you and your glorious ego.
“Yes, I'm gay! I love a mare and we live together and sleep together and talk, eat, laugh, cry. We do it all together, because it's what lovers do!”
“And why does she make you sad enough to cry? You can tell me, I still care about you.”
Lyra scoffed in surprise before grunting loudly. “Is that seriously all you got from what I said?! She doesn't make me cry, you do! She comforts me when you act like this and ruin my day.”
Her mother frowned and her snout lifted again. “So this mare you think you love has convinced you that I'm self centered and all the only cause of sadness in your life? And you believe she is better than a respectable stallion?”
Lyra stomped up the stairs and stopped halfway to look back with tears rimming her eyes. “She's the only good thing in my life, mother. Why can't you understand that? Why do you have to take everything good from my life?”
“Dearest, you're my daughter, no matter what. I brought you into this world and the last thing I want to do is take the joy from your life,” she said in a sweeter tone. “But if you think your close friend is the only source of happiness then perhaps-”
“Stop it! Stop it, mother. Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up! I hate how you talk about Bon Bon! About how you talk about me and my friends and my choices tha-!”
Her hind hoof slipped from the step and she fell to her belly and rolled down three steps before she caught herself.
“Lyra! Oh, my little filly,” the elder mare called as she hopped onto the stairs and climbed the stairs to her daughter as she finished her tumble. “Are you alright? Have you injured yourself?”
“No, I'm fine, mommy. I just lost my balance, I just wanna go to my room and be alone for a while.”
“Alone? Don't you want me to help you?”
“No, I've been fine without you for years and that wouldn't change right now after what you said.”
“What I said? Dearest, I only speak in such a way because I care about you. I want you to live a happy life.”
“I am happy,” Lyra frowned as she got to her hooves and ascended the stairs again, “You just don't understand that.”
“I understand plenty. You are sick, and it's my duty as your mother to help you. I've arranged a meeting-”
“No more dates!” Lyra shouted as she crested the stairs. “A bunch of dumb colts that only care about being popular by association and trying to mount me as soon as I turn away. No more dates!”
Her mother reached the next floor and stammered before speaking. “They don't truly try to mount you before dessert, do they?”
Lyra spun on her hooves and glared daggers. “That's all you care about? When they try to mount me? Not even if they do it or how my marefriend-”
“Do they?” Her mother and calmly.
“Do they what?”
“Mount you? Weren't you just joking?”
“No, they don't mount me! Or even try! Why would you think that's funny?!”
“Darling, please stop shouting. There's no point to it when we're in such close proximity.”
“Mother, I'm going to my room to be alone and I would appreciate space.”
“You mean into that aether place you go to. Lesbian fam friction, was it?”
Lyra ground her teeth in frustration. “You know that's not it, you're just trying to get under my coat and I won't fall for it. What I choose to do when I'm not being watched but you or the help that spy on everything I do is my business.
And I would really appreciate you not insulting that which I care about anymore.”
“Insult? Darling, whatever did you mean? I'm simply defending myself.”
Lyra relaxed and cocked her head. “Huh?”
“Eloquent as ever, I see. What I mean is that you having your, condition, could spell disaster for my image around Canterlot,” she followed as Lyra made her way back to her room. “Your limited social life doesn't reflect the proper way a mare should conduct herself.”
Lyra opened her room door and excused herself. “Thank you for the insight, mother. Good evening.”
With that she slammed the door nearly hard enough to break it if it hadn't been reinforced from her teen years’ tantrums.
“Have a good night, my only daughter. I love you,” a voice called through the door dripping with condescending tones.
Lyra responded by picking up her mattress with her magic and pressing it against the wall, covering the door and muffling any noises from the halls.
She sat by her old desk and opened her aethernet interface. Tears streaming down her cheeks and her body racked with trembles as she sobbed quietly.
A sniffle and foreleg dragging across her cheeks were the only actions she made for nearly two minutes until she located and logged into the site and skimmed the posts.
“The whole world is falling apart and I'm just…”
She sniffled again and did the best thing she could think of… she used the national crisis to cover for her feelings.
I’m so sorry! I thought I could handle it, but... I’m scared. So scared! Another town has been frozen, what if Ponyville is next? And with you done all the time I’m always afraid that I... I don’t even want to think about it!
…