Author's Note
Hopeyouguyscanreadthis
Saturday
The sun had long since set over Canterlot city. The once bright blues of day, and the later oranges of evening had been replaced with the inky blackness of night. Barring a few night shift workers, the people of Canterlot had drifted of to sleep, leaving the city in a comforting silence.
In the suburbs, Lyra Heartstrings slept quietly.
She didn’t snore.
She didn’t murmur.
She didn’t toss or turn.
She didn’t kick, roll, or stir in the slightest.
She just breathed softly, in and out, and slept.
However someone, or something was awake, and the shadows beneath her bed began to take form. Slowly, the creature ebbed its way out of the home it had made for itself, barely brushing the sheets of the occupied bed above it.
It slid toward the center of the room, making no sound, and leaving no prints on the carpet. As it reached a less confined space it began to rise. It grew and grew until it stood the height of the room hunched over. From its shoulders, three scaly wings grew down to the floor, giving the appearance of a cape formed by the creatures own body. Its limbs were wiry and had joints in weird places, with its elbows below its waist and knees bending backwards.
Anyone who saw this creature would scream.
Nobody could resist the sheer terror that radiated from this beast of the shadows.
Fortunately, there was no one around to see it.
No one.
“Gotcha!”
Except for Lyra Heartstrings.
The lights clicked on, and two mint green arms in purple pyjama sleeves wrapped around the monstrous body. The thing didn’t even have a chance to react before the excited teenager was began screaming in joy.
“Iknewit!Iknewit!Iknewit!” Lyra excitedly yelled in to the back of the creature. “I knew you were real! I have so many questions!”
The teenage girl released the monster and ran to her nearby bookshelf.
As she tossed books over her shoulders, she bombarded the confused creature with questions.
“What are you? Where did you come from? Where is my notepad? Why are you here?”
The gears in the monsters head churned away,but it could not come up with a solution to its problem. How was it supposed to get out of this mess? One of the prime criteria for success was ‘remain hidden from everyone’ and yet it had been caught by the absolute worst person to be caught by!
“L-Lyra?”
“How did you fit under my bed ? WHERE IS MY NOTEPAD? Why couldn’t I see you under there? What’s your name?”
“Lyra I really- Ow!”
A stray dvd from the shelf crashed into the monster’s face with reasonable force, causing the thing to lose balance and topple over.
“A ha! There it is!”
Lyra wheeled around to see her new discovery flopped on the floor with a dvd on its face.
“Oh no! Are you okay? I didn't mean to hurt you.” She helped the creature up to its feet, noting that its skin felt like velvet over metal. “I’m just a little excited is all. I’ve been waiting for this day for so long! I swear that my first plan for when I saw someone like you wasn’t to attack them with… A dvd copy of Bonnie and Clyde. Huh, I thought I returned that two years ago. Welp, too late now.”
Lyra once more tossed the movie behind her. This time it landed on the bed. She then scanned the guest in her bedroom up and down, trying to make notes on its appearance.
“Three wings... Long limbs... Green eyes? Weird, thought they would be red.”
The monster, now on its feet, looked around the room. There weren’t very many options for it, and even fewer that didn't hurt Lyra, which is the last thing it wanted to do. It appeared that it was trapped was with her.
“Lyra, you aren't supposed to see me. I know you're excited but could you please pretend this didn't happen?” The thing pleaded, “I’m supposed to protect you secretly, that's why I only come out when you're asleep.”
This stopped the girl in her tracks.
“Oh…” She started, clearly disappointed that in this turn of events. “Then I guess having you come to school for my science research project is out of the question?”
“Absolutely not, Lyra.” The monster said gravely. “Also, you don’t take any sciences.”
“But can I still ask my questions though? I have so many! Like, how do you know I don’t take science? I didn’t know I don’t take science!”
There was a deep pause as the monster weighed its options.
“Okay, you can ask the questions,” The creature sighed. “But you can’t tell anyone about this. Deal?”
The light returned to Lyra’s eyes.
“OKAY DEAL!” She flipped back a few pages in her notepad, back to where the questions began. “So! First, what’s your name? Because not having something to call you makes this feel too… laboratory.” She shuddered at the thought.
“I am Shade 01, Designation: Lyra.” The creature shrugged. “I suppose that’s as close to a name as I have.”
Lyra gasped. “What? No name? We need to fix that!”
She looked around the room for anything that could give make a good name for her new friend. Then her eyes fell on the movie that had become a projectile moments before.
“I’ve got it! Bonnie!” Lyra exclaimed, but quickly backpedalled. “Wait, that might get confusing. Clyde! How ya doin’ Clyde?”
‘Clyde’ exhaled softly. “Clyde it is then.”
“Okay, next question!” Lyra said with a clap. “What are you? Hang on you already said that. You’re a shade right? What’s a shade?”
“I’m a manifestation of the Coremistress’ power.” Clyde shrugged. “Since I’m not the full power of the Coremistress, I am a shadow of it. Therefore, I am a shade.”
Lyra’s eyes widened at this. “Woah! Coremistress? That sounds awesome! And good thing it’s a mistress too, it would be a little weird having a guy in my room while I’m sleeping. Although, I guess it’s not that weird, all things considered.” She started frantically writing in her note-pad. “So is that like a hivemind thing? Or a ‘I serve the great goddess McMuffu destroyer of fridges’ thing?”
The question seemed to confuse Clyde, even on its inhuman face that was evident.
“Hivemind, I guess? I have some free will and thought, but only really enough that the Coremistress doesn’t have to control us 24/7.” Clyde raised its sharp fingers and tapped its head. “Memories, knowledge, personality, that’s all from the Coremistress. It’s why I knew you didn’t take science, but I didn’t know you could fake sleep so convincingly. Heart rate. breathing, how did you do it?”
“Oh I was asleep, you just woke me up when you came out from under the bed.” Lyra explained, pride beaming out from her smile. “I’ve been studying sleep therapy.”
Clyde blinked its bulbous eyes.
“You’ve been taking sleep therapy.”
“Yep. Ever since I started trying to prove things go bump in the night!” She smiled matter-of-factly “If you want to see what goes bump! You’ve got to be awake when they go bump!”
“You researched sleep therapy, so that you could possibly discover me and use me for the research assignment you don’t have.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you just…” Despite Clyde’s unusual appearance, it appeared capable of face-palming. “Nevermind, I don’t no why I’m trying.”
Lyra laughed heartily.
“Man, you sound just like Bon-Bon! Are you sure I can’t introduce you two? You’d get along great!”
Clyde shook its head.
“I told you Lyra, I’m supposed to be a secret, even from you.”
With a sigh, Lyra’s shoulders slumped.
“Yeah, I know.” She lowered her head and kicked at the ground. “I just don’t like keeping things from my friends. Especially not Bon-Bon, we share everything.”
The mood in the room fell, and Clyde tried desperately tried to raise Lyra’s spirits again.
“Don’t you have a few more questions to ask me?”
As if the last conversation had never happened, Lyra’s head bounced up. Her grin had already returned, full force.
“Right, two more. Plus any follow up questions. I’m a thorough interviewer.”
She reopened her notebook, looking for the page with her next question.
“Okay! Why are you here? Do you intend to eat me? Feed off my dreams? Learn my habits to eventually replace me?” Lyra didn’t so much as flinch while reading her list of possible reasons for a monster being under her bed, even though most them were terrible. “New one, do you intend to absorb me into this ‘Coremistress’?”
Clyde didn’t speak, as if it was waiting for Lyra to tell it how to answer.
“Uhh, Clyde?”
“My goal is to protect you, Lyra. As you said, things go bump in the night. I’m here to make sure that the things that bump harder than I do don’t get to you.” Clyde bowed its already hunched head. “It’s what the Coremistress ordered me to do.”
“Wait, really?” Lyraa asked as she looked up from her notepad. “Why does she want to protect me? Am i, like, the chosen one or something?”
This response actually managed to elicit a laugh from Clyde.
“Because she cares about you, Lyra. She wants to keep you safe. So do I.”
“Are you going to tell me more about her?”
“No.”
Lyra laughed.
“Worth a shot.” She sighed as she calmed down. “Last question, and it’s one that’s been bugging me since you appeared.”
“And that is?”
“How on earth have you been hiding from me?! I must have turned this room upside down trying to find you, but was there any evidence of you? NOPE!” Lyra was visibly more frustrated now. It looked more like she was talking to herself than asking the monster standing in front of her. “You were under my bed, right? HOW? Firstly, I checked under my bed plenty of times, even when I wasn't looking for you. And secondly, You're huge! There is no way you could-”
“Anchored Hypo-Dimensional Compression.”
Lyra blinked. Then blinked again.
“What?”
“By anchoring myself in three dimensional space, and then compressing myself to the extent of losing my third dimension and becoming two dimensional, I can make myself completely undetectable.” Clyde Explained. “I can’t do it in the light. As i shrink photons can get trapped under my skin, and as I compress myself smaller they break out. The brighter it is, the more painful it is. If i were to try and hide fully in the light… well, I’d be like an egg in a microwave, except the egg would be getting smaller while it heated up.”
“That... “ Lyra began as she processed exactly what she was being told. Once she wrapped her head around what Clyde was saying, her eyes lit up. “...is so cool!”
“You think my monstrous powers are ‘cool’? ”
“Uhhh… Yeah! ” Lyra shrugged. “You're powers are awesome! Can you compress yourself only partly? Or, Like, make your hands reaaaaaalllly thin? Because if you can, you could turn your arms into the sharpest swords ever! Or you could make yourself harder than diamonds!”
Lyra gasped.
“I just had a great idea for my research project! I promise I won't mention you-oo-”
She was hit by a sudden wave of yawning, reminding her how late it was.
“but that can wait until the morning.” She flopped back into her bed and wrapped herself in the covers. “Goodnight Clyde!”
Clyde was dumbfounded.
“You're able to go to sleep? Just like that?” it asked. “After just finding out there are monsters that might come after you while you're asleep?”
“Yep, sleep therapy classes, remember? ” she said as she stretched out her body and settled into her bed. “besides, I have you protecting me, so there's no reason for me to worry.”
With it's inhuman face, Clyde smiled.
“You're right Lyra. There's nothing to worry about.” It reached over and turned out the lights. “Goodnight.”
For a few seconds everything was quiet. The only sounds were the trees moving in the wind and Lyra’s steady breathing.
“Hey, Clyde?” Lyra asked in a sleepy voice
“Yes, Lyra?
“we're friends, right?”
In the darkness, Clyde's smile grew.
“Yes Lyra, we are friends.”
“Good, good. I like having friends.” she shuffled around under her covers, finally getting comfortable. “Goodnight Clyde, for real this time.”
“Goodnight Lyra.”
“-and if we are able to harness this technology-”
“Miss Heartstrings-”
“Ms. Harshwhinny will you please let me finish my presentation? This is like the fifth time.” Lyra cleared her throat.” Right so if we could harness this technology, it could change how we do everything!
“Low space railway systems, ultra reinforced space shuttles and submarines, bulk storage the size of a watermelon! The possibilities are endless!”
She took a bow, signalling the end of her speech.
The teacher behind her started clapping, it seemed halfway genuine but there was a hint of pity in it.
“Well done Lyra, that was a very interesting presentation. I could feel the effort you put into making it the best it could be.”
“Thank you Ms Harshwhinny, I think that's the first-”
“Unfortunately, as I tried to tell you earlier, I think you might be in the wrong classroom. Ms Harshwhinny’s class is down the hall.”
Lyra whirled around, and sure enough, she wasn't greeted by Ms Harshwhinny’s furrowed brow and stern glare. Instead, it was the gentle and warm smile of Miss High Note, the music teacher.
“Ohhhhh, I was wondering why the class suddenly had a piano in it.” She said as she slapped her forehead. “Silly Lyra. Sorry to interrupt your class Miss High Note.”
Despite the intrusion into her classroom, miss High Note did not seem concerned.
“Nonsense, you stood up there with such passion and confidence, I didn't even understand what you were talking about and yet I was still paying close attention to every word.
“I think we can all take something from how you presented yourself. When it comes to performing in front of an audience, the important thing is to do so with confidence, and let our passion speak for itself.
“we need to let go of our fears and worries, so that we can get out there and-”
“That's great and all, but I need to go present this to the right class. Sooooo can I just…” The finger guns aimed towards the door indicated what Lyra was asking to do.
“Oh! Of course dear, I didn't mean to hold you up.” High note exclaimed. “You go follow your passion!”
“Thanks Miss High Note!” Lyra yelled as she ran out of the room.
“Ahhh, such an enthusiastic girl,” Miss High Note sighed. “it's a shame she isn't in this class, I imagine she would do quite well.”
One of the students raised their hand.
“Umm, Miss High Note? I think Lyra is supposed to be in this class.”
“Really?” Sifting through the papers on her desk, Miss High Note found the class roll. True to the students words, Lyra Heartstrings was on it. “So she is. Hmm, I don't want to stop her presenting that assignment she worked so hard on, but if she is supposed to be here then I need one of you to go get her…”
“I wouldn't worry about it, Miss. Bon-Bon is in that class. She'll bring Lyra back pretty quickly.”
The students in 4201 were silently taking note as Ms Harshwhinny droned on.
“Now the barycenter of the Jupiter-Sun orbit is actually just outside of…”
Ms Harshwhinny enjoyed a silent classroom. It was amazing for her to look out over her students and see them all taking notes, absorbing every word she said, and never interrupting the lesson.
This was education.
“...the surface of the sun, this means that…”
Ms Harshwhinny did not like loud students. They ruined the flow of her lessons and could even throw them off schedule. If that happened then they would have to rush over something else later on to have them ready for their exams.
“...when observed, there is a noticeable wobble in the…
Bon-Bon was the perfect example of a good student. She sat there quietly, never speaking unless spoken to. She set out all of her notes neatly, and always got perfect marks on quizzes, tests and exams.
She was a teacher’s dream.
“orbit of the sun. This isn't noticeable from Earth because…”
Now, Ms Harshwhinny didn't have any bad students, but if she had to pick an example of one, it would have to be…
CRASH
The door to 4201 crashed open, and standing in the doorway panting in exhaustion was Ms Harshwhinny’s living example of a bad student.
Lyra Heartstrings.
“OhmygoshMsHarshwhinnyI’msooryI’mlateIwasinthemusicclassroombecause-”
Ms Harshwhinny just sighed.
“Bon-Bon”
Before Lyra could react a cream colored hand pinched her ear and started dragging her out of the room.
“What? Bonnie! I need to do my presentation!” Lyra whined as she struggled to get free.
Bon-Bon didn't even turn around to respond to the objections. It was clear this was not an uncommon occurrence.
“If you want you can show it to me at lunch, but for now you need to go back to class.” She said as she dragged the girl down the hall.
Ms Harshwhinny rubbed her temples and sighed. Yet another reason Bon-Bon was the perfect student.
After school ended, Lyra and Bon-Bon went back to Lyra’s house where they just relaxed and watched some TV.
It was a bizarre sight to see, as Bon-Bon sat with her legs side by side, her hands on her knees and her back straight like she was taking a school photo.
Meanwhile, Lyra was lying stomach down on the top of the couch, like a sloth who decided the top of the branch was more comfortable.
“Uuuuuuhhhhhggg.” Lyra groaned into the couch cushion “I can't believe Ms Harshwhinny wouldn't let me present. It's like she hates me or something.”
“Maybe it's because you aren't in her class. ” Bon-Bon sighed. “Really Lyra, how often do I have to tell you you don't take science?”
Lyra laughed.
“Yeah, that's what… Excuse me one moment.”
Suddenly Lyra jumped off the couch and sprinted out of the room. Bon-Bon could hear her running up the stairs, and she could definitely hear her when she tripped halfway up.
Bon-Bon just shook her head.
“That girl is going to be the death of me. ”
Suddenly she heard Lyra scream in excitement, followed by more running and another trip down the staircase.
“BON-BON!” Lyra shouted as she burst into the room breathing heavily.
“Yes, Lyra?” She replied, her eyebrow raised quizzically.
“UPSTAIRS! NOW!“
Once more Lyra sprinted out of the room, this time with Bon-Bon following behind calmly.
When Bon-Bon got up the stairs, she found Lyra poking her head out of her mostly closed bedroom door.
“Okay Bonnie, before I let you in, I need you to promise two things.”
Bon-Bon just sighed and nodded.
“Great! First, you have to promise not to tell anyone! I wasn't even supposed to find out, so just me telling you is to much. Deal?”
Again, Bon-Bon nodded.
“Even better than great! Okay second I need you to not freak out. That's…” Lyra's eyes shifted back inside her room. “...kind of a big one.”
Bon-Bon rolled her eyes.
“Lyra, I promise I won't freak out. What’s going on?”
Lyra let out a sigh of relief.
“Good, great, super. You can come in now.”
She opened the door revealing… her bedroom.
Bon-Bon stepped inside.
“Lyra, if it's the mess, I've seen your room before, this is normal.” She looked around. “It might even be a little cleaner.”
“Wait, I have to turn the lights off first.
Suddenly the room was dark. The heavy curtains cut out the light of the late-afternoon sun, and with no lights turned on, the darkness was unyielding.
“Okay,soitturnsoutthere’samonsterunermybedthat’sreallyreallynicebutI’mnotsupposedtoknowbutnowthatIdoIhavetokeeoitsecretbutIbeggedittoletmeshowyouand-”
“Lyra, calm down.” Bon-Bon said soothingly as she found her in the dark. She began rubbing her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. “Breeeaaaath. Are you ready? Try again.”
“Okay,okay, I'm good.” Lyra took a deep breath and reached back for the light switch. “Bonnie, meet Clyde.”
The lights clicked on, shining their light on the large black monster, who for a creature of it’s size was looking at Bon-Bon with an unexpected timidity.
The shade’s bright green eyes were locked on the newcomer’s face, searching for a reaction, but her cold blue eyes revealed nothing.
“Lyra…” Bon-Bon began slowly, not moving her eyes.
There was a brief silence as both Lyra and Clyde awaited her reaction.
“I don't see anything.” She finished.
“WHAT?!” The other two yelled on unison.
“But… I swear it's true! I found it on Saturday! It's the whole reason I did the hypo-dimensional compression as my research project! Clyde is real I swe-”
Bon-Bon wrapped Lyra in a tight hug.
“Ssshhhh, relax Lyra. Even if I don't see it I believe you.”
Lyra sniffed.
“Y-you do?”
Bon-Bon nodded.
“of course I do, you never hide anything from me, I can't even think of the last time you lied.”
“Yeah, even if I tried you could probably tell, apparently my face scrunches up when I lie.” Lyra laughed, still with a hint of sadness.
Bon-Bon laughed too.
“besides, your my friend. I trust you.”
“Best friend?” Lyra asked, her voice audibly happier.
“Yes Lyra, you are my best friend.”
“Super-amazing-special best friend?”
Bon-Bon rolled her eyes and sighed.
“Super-amazing-special best friend.”
She slowly released her grip on Lyra.
“I'm going to go home. I'm sure you and…” Her eyes glanced towards where the monster was supposed to be. “... Clyde, have a lot to talk about.”
She stepped out into the hallway, when she got halfway down the stairs she turned back towards the room.
“See you later, Lyra.”
Lyra smiled.
“See ya, Bonnie.”
Clyde shuffled awkwardly.
“I'm.. Sorry Lyra, I can't think of a reason why she couldn't see me.”
Lyra shook her head.
“No, it's fine.” She turned to face Clyde.” Lyra believes in you, and that's all that matters.”
She sat down on her bed and reached for the lights.
“I think I'll take a nap. Could you wake me up when mom gets home?”
“I'm not an alarm clock, Lyra.” Clyde said, then her eyes met Lyra’s and she sighed. “But yes, I can wake you up.”
Lyra clicked off the lights and lay down.
“Thanks Clyde, you're my favorite monster.”
“You're welcome Lyra, you're my favorite human.”
Later that night, when Lyra had fallen to sleep for the night, Clyde came out once more. To the surprise of no one at this point Lyra woke up.
“Heeeey Clyde.” Lyra mumbled, still half asleep.
“Hello, Lyra.”
“You're not annoyed that I found out about you right?” Lyra asked.
Clyde sighed.
“I'll admit, I, nor the Coremistress, were particularly thrilled that you managed to catch me… But, so far it hasn't really been an issue.”
“Do you have a mental link with this Coremistress?”
Clyde blinked.
“Pardon?”
“Like, does she see what you see? Does she know what you think? Can she control you remotely like a big robot?”
Clyde thought about this.
“She can do all those things, yes, but it isn't constant. There is a connection, but most of the time I'm acting independent of her.”
“Well… could you ask her if we’re friends? I know you and I are friends, but I've never met the Coremistress.”
Clyde chuckled quietly.
“The Coremistress told me to say ‘Yes, we're friends.’”
“Good, good. I like having friends.” she shuffled around under her covers, finding a comfortable spot to go back to sleep.
“Goodnight Clyde. ”
Just a few doors down, a pair of shining blue eyes flashed green.
“Goodnight, Lyra.”
Author's Note
Ta daaaaaaa
Seriously, though. Big thanks to Rainbowhitter for the cover art. It's perfect and she got it done incredibly fast.
