The flames of which we find warmth
(Three weeks after the move)
I sat back on the park bench, my eyes closed, and a bag of popcorn in my hoofs. I could finally take a breather. "Hey Lyra!"
BUCK!
It was Sweetie Drops a.k.a Bon Bon a.k.a the most annoying pony on the face of Equis. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure she's a fine pony once you get to know her, but she refuses to leave me alone! I tried being nice, being rude, and even avoiding her at all costs, but she still tries to talk to me.
"What do you want miss Drops?" I asked her once she made her way over to me, standing right in front of me, blocking the wonderful view I had of the winter birds.
"You know I prefer you call me Bon Bon. Anyway, I just wanted to talk." She said happily.
"You know I prefer we don't." I said bluntly.
"Why?" she asked. The look of Concern grew on her face.
"Because." I didn't even try to come up with an answer.
"I don't get it! Whenever I try to talk to you, you just... I don't know... close up! Its as if you completely deny my existence!" She started ranting.
"It ain't just you." I said, filling my mouth with a hoof full of popcorn. I stood up, and threw the rest of my popcorn, bag n' all, into the middle of the park, where, without a moment of hesitation, a small flock of birds concentrated, and started eating. Then I turned, and walked toward Heartstring manor, leaving Bon Bon in my wake. Cool, calm, and badass as buck... that's how I would describe myself at that moment.
Heartstring manor... it was my grandparents mansion... I mean, it was, tell they both kicked the bucket. Then it, and all the bits my grandparents saved up, were mine. That is... it will be mine, but I have to live in that place for three months before I can collect. After a few minutes of walking, and checking my back to make sure Bon Bon wasn't following me, I found myself at the edge of town. About a half-mile walk following the road I was on, up hill, and I would be back home. But I didn't really feel like putting myself through that effort. Instead I opted to turn to my left, and make my way toward the 'Seedy Stable'. The place was my favorite hangout. It was a rundown, old, seedy, grimy, messy, insert synonym of the word dirty here, bar... but on the inside... on the inside it was still a rundown, old, grimy, messy, insert synonym of the word dirty here, bar... but with a small amount of class.
The place was mostly empty, as it was expected to be at high noon. The tables still had chairs on them, the bar tender was still cleaning glasses, and half the lights were off. I walked over to the bar, placed a lump sum of bits on the counter, making sure the bartender had clearly seen what I had done, and once I got a nod of approval from the pegasus stallion cleaning the glasses, I reached over the counter, and grabbed a large bottle of whiskey.
I took my new bottle of happiness with me over to a booth, seeing as the stools weren't out, and all the chairs were upside down, hanging off the tables. I opened my bottle of liquid bliss, and downed it. I don't know how long it took to drink that sucker, but Celestia knows that stuff was potent. I had passed out in the booth.
I had woken up a few hours later. It was the dead of night, and I was being carried on someponies back. Now normally, I'd have been scared as buck, but I was too plastered to care. After a few moments of walking, me, and my foalnapper entered a house. I was unceremoniously thrown onto a couch, and then I did the only logical thing anypony would do... I fell asleep.
I woke up with a splitting headache, but that was to be expected. What I didn't expect though, was the fact that I was wrapped in possibly the worlds most comfortable sheets, and my head was resting on one of the most comfortable pillows I'd ever had the pleasure to enjoy resting my head on. In front of me, on a coffee table, was a glass of water. I worked up the will to leave my cocoon of comfort, and reached for the water. I drank the liquid without hesitation. It was a cool relief, and a thankful distraction from the pain in my head. Once I worked up enough courage, I let loose a spell. My head exploded in pain, but then it all stopped. The spell I used was one I picked up from my days as a recreational raver. I called it the 'Buck I got a hangover, let's see if I can fix that.' spell.
I never said I was creative.
Anyway, after I got my barrings, I examined my current residence. It was colorful place. The walls were white, the carpet was white, the furniture was white, everything was the same shade of white. That being said, it struck my fancy. I was completely comfortable in this room, but then I heard the tell tale noise of cooking. I picked myself up, and ventured into the breach that is a arching doorway. Once I was through the not so imposing work of architecture, I was blasted with the smell of eggs, and oats. I would have been ecstatic, but it just had to be her. The filly that doth encase my vision ruined any hope I had of waking up, and enjoying a warm meal before I made my way home.
That filly... was Bon Bon.
"Hello Lyra, have a nice nap?" She asked sharply.
"It was wonderful, thank you." I responded. There was no point in starting a fight with her, after all, she did give me a safe place to sleep... Luna knows where I could have ended up if it wasn't for her.
"So... that's what you do all day? Sit on a park bench, eat some popcorn, then get hammered, and wait to see what happens next?" she asked. Actually, it sounded more like she was scolding me, but I didn't really care.
"N... ye... occasionally." I would have argued, but looking back at the past three weeks I've spent in Ponyville, that's pretty much all I've spent my time doing.
Bon Bon looked a bit taken aback, actually. I think she expected me to deny it, or at least give some kind of explanation. "And... you're okay with that? Don't you have a job, or something?" she continued asking questions.
"Are those eggs for me?" I asked, trying to change the subject.
"Oh, no. Not this time! I refuse to let you change the subject. You have done everything in your power to try, and avoid me, and I want to know why! Do you have some kind of personal vendetta with me? Is it my breath?!" She asked, becoming progressively more flustered the more she talked.
"Fine, do you really want to know?" I asked. I decided that I'd show any amount of mercy to this poor mare, if it meant she would shut up.
She nodded her head.
"Because, I don't like other ponies." I said stoically.
Bon Bon quirked her head to the side, as if she was confused.
"That's it. No dramatic secret? No big reveal?" She asked, surprise evident in her voice.
"I don't see what the big deal is." I said, taking a seat at her table.
"I... you... really? You just don't like other ponies. You can't be serious?! I've approached you like, a hundred times, looking for a conversation, and each time, you just ran off. I don't believe you!" She said, getting slightly angry.
"That's all well, and good, but when do we eat? I'm a bit famished." I responded.
She just looked at me for a few awkward seconds. After enough time to make even herself uncomfortable, she turned around silently, and continued to cook. After a few minutes of monotonous preparation of food, she brought two plates of eggs out, and set one in front of me. She took her place across the table from me. We ate in silence. Once we were both done, Bon Bon took our plates, and placed them in her sink.
"I have one question before you leave." She said. "Were do you live?" she asked.
"Why?" I wondered.
"Just in case I have to drag your drunk plot out of that bar again, I don't want to serve you breakfast on a daily basis." she said. For some reason, I felt slightly insulted... I should have been happy, Bon Bon was willing to finally leave me alone! But, I wasn't.
"I live in the mansion... the one on Seabiscuit Hill."
"Wait... your the heir of the Heartstring lineage?" She asked.
"It's in my name." I answered. "Lady Heartstrings, pleased to officially make your acquaintance." I said, with a subtle bow. I'm cold, and antisocial... not impolite.
She just stared at me... again. I took the time to get up, and turn toward the exit of the kitchen, then I stood there in slight confusion. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure were the exit is." I said.
Bon Bon walked past me coldly, I think I rubbed her the wrong way by treating her like nothing more then an annoyance... but wasn't that what I was trying to do in the first place? "Are you following or what?" she asked hotly as she moved a few feet away from me.
I responded by following, silently. We made our way to the front door of her house. She opened it for me, and I took my leave. I stopped when I was few feet away, and turned my head to the side so I could look back at Bon Bon. "Hey, Sweetie Drops..."
"I would like to be called Bon Bon, thank you very much!" She said, cutting me off.
"Bon Bon... thank you." I said, before continuing my way down the street toward home.
The next day was uneventful. I stayed home, and fiddled with my lyre. The day after that, I spent my time drinking scotch, and listening to the classics in the observatory of my mansion. The day following that one, I made my way into town, and bought some groceries, stopping by the library to pick up a Daring Do novel. I spent that night reading it. Then it was the end of the week, and I decided I'd try my luck at relaxing in the park, like I tried to do earlier that week.
I adorned my plain black scarf, and made my way to town. When I got to the park, it was a little past sunset. The air was crisp with a hint of... charcoal. That wasn't right. I scanned the horizon, and found light coming from the direction of Bon Bon's house. I took my time to get there, half because I was scared, half because I am lazy. I saw a team of fire pegasus using rain clouds to try douse a raging fire that is, or should I say used to be, Bon Bon's house. I was relieved when I saw that Bon Bon was behind a line of guards, keeping anypony from running into the raging inferno to potentially loot the place, not that there would be anything left to loot by now.
I walked up to Bon Bon, who was lying on the ground crying. I gently stroked her mane. She looked up at me, and I gave her my 'I'm sorry, but this stuff happens' smirk. She went back to crying, and I stayed at her side. I may be antisocial, but I wasn't going to let a pony lose everything, and just shrug it off, and walk away. After what seemed like hours, the fire burnt itself out. Nothing was left of Bon Bon's home, but the ash on the ground.
I patted her back, getting her attention. She looked up at me. I signaled for her to follow. She got up, and pressed herself against my side. I supported her weight, and started walking back to my house.
"Why..." she sobbed a bit. "... are you helping me?" She asked.
"Because... I'm not gonna leave a friend out in the cold." I answered in my monotone voice.
A past of fight, and sleepless night...
CHAPTER 2
It goes to show, like in stories of old, that you never really know the pony beside you.
The walk had been quite... almost disturbingly so. It took longer then normal to get back to my home, partly because of the weight I was supporting, but mostly because It was frigid out, and I had lost nearly all the feeling in my legs. Once we got to the massive oak doors that were the main entrance to Heartstring manor, I let Bon Bon stand by herself. I opened the doors, which took some time due to the fact that I was shaking like a filly on the first day of school, and peaked about the entrance, igniting the magical lighting system that was installed in the building.
I invited Bon Bon in with a silent flick of my hoof, and proceeded onward. As I passed the coat rack, I used my magic to throw my scarf lamely onto it, and looked back at Bon Bon to see if she had any clothing on. At that moment, I saw her for the first time in the light that night. She looked... different. It was as if she was just a husk of her former self. I wouldn't say I felt sad at that moment, nor would I say I felt pity. All I really felt was guilt. I had treated this mare terribly. Every moment she tried to interact with me, save for several minutes ago, I just responded with fiend politeness, or with negligent responses.
Perhaps I should have treated her better... but I am letting her stay here for a couple days. That makes up for it, right? No, of course not... anypony would let her stay in their home for a couple days. Perhaps I can give her a permanent home? Yeah, I could show her the sympathy I never got! I could become a better pony then all those others in Manehatten!
"Lyra... are you okay?" I heard Bon Bon ask. Her voice was dry, and lacked any sort of volume beyond that needed to reach my ears.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I asked confusedly. I was suppose to be the one asking if Bon Bon was okay.
"You were just staring at me." She informed.
"Oh! Yeah, I was... thinking about... home. Um... how long would you like to stay?" I asked.
"I... ah... I might need only a couple days to find a new place." She said. Each word she spoke came out roughly, as if it physically hurt her to speak. "I should get a check from my insurance company, and...." She was going to continue to speak until she had driven herself back into tears, so I cut her off with a raise of my hoof.
"I'll get you a key, you can make this your permanent residence." I gave her a warm look. "I know how hard it is without a home, and what its like to be on your own. It's not fun, so... what do ya say?" I asked.
I could visibly see her eyes start to tear up, and her lips slowly change from a frown to a small smile. It was faint, but she almost looked happy. Soon tears started flowing down her face, and she embraced me in a hug.
I don't like hugs, but I can make an exception in this case. Bon Bon needed a friend, and though I was a long shot from what was optimal, at least I was willing.
"Hey... um..." I heard Bon Bon say through my coat.
"Yeah?" I asked
"I... I want to thank you." She said.
"No problem." I responded.
"Also... um..." She started to ask a question. For some reason I became extremely focused on her words.
"Where will I sleep?" She asked.
That was a good question, although this place has about ten gust rooms, my room was the only one with a bed. Complications... there are always complications.
In response, I led Bon Bon to my room, making sure to indicate which hallways led where, the purpose of certain rooms, and I informed about the history of some of the portraits of important Members of the Heartstring family... like great uncle Daniels, who helped create the drink now known as Applejack Daniels.
As we arrived at my room, the first thing I did was kindled the fire in the fireplace. It wasn't nearly as cool as it was outside, but it was still extremely uncomfortable in doors.
"You can take my bed for now." I said, rising from the task of starting the fire.
"But where will you sleep?" Bon Bon asked, her voice wasn't as rough as it was a few minutes prior, but she still looked worse for wear.
I walked over to the door, letting awkward silence envelope the room, but not fully overtake the atmosphere of the area. I looked over my shoulder at Bon Bon with half laden eyes, and gave my answer. "I don't sleep."
And, Before Bon Bon could question what I had said, I made my way out of the room, and said, almost in a whisper "I go comatose." With a small giggle at the joke I made, and an eager pace, I made my way to the observatory.
I climbed the twisting stairs with haste, and took in a deep breath once I arrived at my destination. I admired the comically large telescope, pointed skyward, that stood to the far right of the room. The room was a giant dome, and was nothing but glass panes held together with steel. The floor was a dark, solid, oak. I had a large couch that was shaped like a semicircle in the center of the room. It sat atop a white, and fluffy rug... I really loved that rug. Off to the left of the 'viewing deck', as that is what I've taken to calling the observatory, was the object of my desire... a bar.
A full sized bar, fully stocked, had found its way onto the viewing deck after countless years of sitting in the basement. I had moved up to the viewing deck because I was tired of trying to find the door that led to the basement, and because I never seem to get a hangover on the viewing deck.
Anyway, the reason I so desperately needed a drink was because, besides of my minor addiction to alcohol, visions of my past were starting to over take my mind... and my past wasn't exactly pleasant. So, I drank, and I drank, and I drank, and when I wanted to stop drinking... I drank some more!
I woke up looking directly at the sun which was at its apex on its journey across the sky. I coughed a bit, and, like always when I get wasted on the viewing deck, I was completely hangover free. I sat up, and cracked my neck. "So, you really do get drunk every night." I heard Bon Bon say in a 'I don't really give a shit, but that's good to know' manner.
I was slightly surprised, but I got over it quickly. I turned around, and looked at Bon Bon. She looked better... a lot better actually, probably due to the fact that she now has a mansion for a home. Its funny really, a few days ago, and this event right here would've been the stuff of nightmares to me, but now I don't mind... in fact... i kinda welcome it.
"Why?" I heard her ask.
"Why what?" I returned, not sure what she was asking.
"Why do you purposefully drink yourself into a coma?" she asked.
"It helps me forget." I volleyed back.
Shit, I didn't mean to say that... my mouth is still ahead of my brain.
"Forget what." Bon Bon asked. Her tone changed from the much preferred 'I don't give a flying fuck what the hell you are really doing, but I'm gonna pretend I do' to a 'Oh shit! Somethings wrong, and I gotta help!' tone
"Nothing. Forget about it." I said with a wave of the hoof.
"No. You can tell me, I'm your friend... remember." She said. I don't regret calling her my friend, but I sure feel something similar to it.
"I don't want to burden you." I said, walking over to the bar.
"But, I want to be burdened. Please, tell me." She begged.
I shot back a glass of some form of alcohol... I didn't check the bottle, and didn't really bother to savor the taste.
"Fine, just don't... I don't know... just don't look at me differently after I tell you, Okay?" I asked. she simply nodded her head in response.
"I didn't even know my name was Lyra Heartstrings until a couple months ago." I said.
"What?" Bon Bon asked with a tone of surprise.
"I didn't know my name was Lyra Heartstrings... I was just Lyra." I walked over to the couch, and sat in my seemingly trademark position. "I was born in Trottingham. Apparently, my mother died during child birth." I heard small whimper of some sort come from Bon Bon. "After a few months after my birth, and her death, my dad moved to Canterlot... but he left me on the train."
"That isn't that bad..." Bon Bon said.
"He didn't even try, and look for me!" I said with the faintest amount of hostility evident in my voice. "I was left on that Celestia forsaken train, and it made it all the way to Manehatten before someone found me. They took me to an orphanage, and dropped me off at the doorstep. I was raised there tell I was six, then I ran away for Celestia knows why. I got myself into a hell of a lot of trouble... I actually served two years in Manehatten city correctional facility..." I said.
Bon Bon looked at me blankly "What's a correctional facility... some kind of hospital?" asked.
"Its a prison." I answered. Before Bon Bon could freak out, I continued. "Anyway, after those two years, a filly I met in the orphanage found me, and dragged me out of the hell of a life I created for myself. She got me into raves, and clubs. It wasn't bad for a while, but I found myself back in my old life after a time. I was homeless until I inherited this mansion." I stated looking at Bon Bon with empathy evident in my eyes. "That is probably one of the reasons I'm letting you live here... I guess." I said. "Anyway, my life has been shit up to this point, and along the way I developed a dislike for other ponies, and would really rather forget it. Booze is a means to an end." I finished my little speech.
Bon Bon looked at me for much longer then was comfortable, before getting up, and walking over to the bar. She reached over the counter, and grabbed a bottle of Applejack Daniels. She made her way back to me. She sat right next to me, in the same style as me, and held up the bottle.
"This drink isn't a very good solution if you ask me." She opened it, and took a long gulp. She held up the bottle again. "But it ain't a bad one either... the question is this solution." she said, shaking the bottle. "Or this solution." She said, gesturing her free hoof toward herself. "So." She said, throwing the bottle behind her somewhere. "I think the solution is obvious... don't you?" She asked with a smile.
I sighed. "It seems like it will be the only one you'll let me take."
"Damn straight. Now, how about you take me to a club... I've never really been to one before." She said, cheering me up.
My life is probably gonna be a worse wreck then before by the end of this...
