Broken Strings
And so the song began with the slightest release of the strings before gliding softly to a rest. A short moment passed accompanied by a small sigh before continuing once again. A beautiful melody had started to build and encompass the room. A panel of judges observed with stone faces, an audience completely awash with tears sat behind them. Lyra rested on a large cushion, dyed passion red and trimmed in gold. Her face remained expressionless, her eyes sealed closed as she played. A small gold lyre floated beside her, held aloft in the air by her magic.
The notes poured from the diminutive instrument with perfect and beautiful precision. Lyra's magic moving across the strings at a lightning pace. The small golden beams danced as though they were not making the music, but enjoying it themselves. An entire orchestra composed from but a single mare began to build. A now strong melody escalating in strength and power as it billowed from the lye, backed with every beat of Lyra's heart. It hit it's climax before beginning to slow as it brought the crowd down to rest as the last ball of light slid across the strings.
The room was silent all but a few sniffs from members of the audience overwhelmed by the emotions portrayed in front of them. Lyra slowly allowed her magic to weaken on the lyre, allowing it to rest upon its stand. She released the muscles that held her posture and stood with a small exhale. She slowly opened her eyes to a crowd left breathless. The final glow of her horn passed away as she gave a formal bow, inducing a riot of cheering.
With the focus taken off of her music and the obstructive cushion behind her, Lyra's true beauty became abundantly apparent. Accenting her soft mint green coat was a shimmering white gown with gold trim correlating with the lyre on her exposed flank. The white and pastel blue of her mane styled in small curls that wrapped around her face so to bring more attention to her honey hued eyes. She let out another small sigh before returning from her bow, now facing the still expressionless judges.
They gave nothing away, all five of them either still writing or watching her attentively. They each waited until they had all finished their reviews. When they were all looking up at her, a small slip of paper was passed between all of them. A young pegasus garnishing a small headset came up and whisked the paper away. They stared at her once again, until finally; one of them spoke.
“Miss Lyra Heartstrings” the dark stallion began, his voice echoing throughout the hall.
“I do not need to state the magnificence of that performance, the unending sobs from the crowd are evidence enough of that.” He paused while the crowd let out another cheer at his compliment. “However, you are not the only pony in Equestria with great musical talent. The Canterlot Royal Symphony does require the best nonetheless. I shall leave the rest to Miss Operetta”
The rest of the judges eyes moved to the unicorn seated in the middle. Her dark green mane was well maintained and kept short and straight but for a small inward curl at the bottom. The dark shades contrasted horribly with her soft orange coat. She watched Lyra through a pair of small square glasses, her face now painted with dissatisfaction. She sipped from a glass of water before beginning Lyra's review, a faint smirk on her lips.
“Lyra, Darling, we all hoped you might bring us something... well... more.” She paused knowing the crowd wouldn't particularly care for her choice of words. Her suspicions confirmed by the gasps behind her. “You expressed yourself wonderfully through your piece, stealing the hearts of everyone here. But with so many wonderful performers, their hearts are stolen with almost every showcase.” She stopped another moment at seeing Lyra's twitch ever so slightly. “You love your music, and the song shows that beautifully. But throughout that song, I never once heard that you love your life. Music can not be inspired by music alone. Tears of sadness flow from these ponies faces.” She stated with a hoof addressing the audience behind her. “Those tears caused by the tragedy that piece brought to their hearts. The piece lacked life, it lacked contentment.”
Lyra could feel her airways beginning to constrict, her breaths already much shorter. Sustaining her magic through such a lengthy piece had already exhausted her, but now she felt like the world was on the brink of collapsing. The confidence that previously kept her strong was dissipating rapidly as her knees became wobbly. She could do nothing but listen and watch as this prestigious unicorn's review tarnished her performance.
“I could feel nothing in that song but desperation, nothing else to be found but sad longing for it to be something that everyone would love. Your heart was there, but it brought no motivation, stimulation, or exhilaration.” She sipped her water once again before continuing. “I know you music is your life Lyra, and locked away you have the talent to be the best. But sealed away that true talent still remains. My fellow and judges and I agree, that in this state, we can not use you. My most sincere of apologies Miss Heartstrings.” She finished, retaking her seat on the panel.
The words rang in Lyra's head with a resounding throng, each syllable had sliced through her with icy claws. A moment that she believed was going to be her shining moment had now mutated into her overarching downfall. A painful twinge ran through her legs, the urge to just collapse in tears slowly becoming overwhelming. She couldn't let them see her break, her body almost shaking from the breath she was holing. A soft shining yellow glow enveloped her horn as her magic took hold of her lyre.
Lyra took a low and controlled bow.
“Thank you for your time” she announced softly, maintaining the most professional voice she could msuter.
She took final glance over the audience, stares of disbelief in their eyes. Unfortunately, in the end, it truly didn't matter what they thought, but what the five high-class ponies in front of her thought and felt. Thoughts and feelings that they had made perfectly clear. Defeat in hoof, Lyra walked off stage just as another pony entered.
A door opens. A door closes. The noises of a still bustling city ringing outside.
Lyra stared blankly at her dark apartment with tear filled eyes. Only a couple steps were all she could manage before her strength abandoned her. Lyra's knees met the floor but a moment before her bags did. No longer having a reason to hold her reserve, Lyra lowered her walls and released her sustaining breath. The tears began instantly, flowing like river rapids down her face. The judge's review continued to echo inside her head, eviscerating the small shreds of hope that had remained. The despair drew a low moan from her lips while her body began to shake. Already having lost all care, Lyra curled inward as much as she could while teardrops formed a salt stained path across the floor. Finally, after what could have been minutes or might have been hours, Lyra slept.
A rather intrusive glare battered Lyra's swollen eyes, warm rays of sunlight now taking occupancy of the apartment. A resonating groan was all the response Lyra could muster before turning away, shunning the unwanted sunbeams. Morning had come all to soon.
The sunrise now illuminating Lyra's rather plain apartment. There was not much to be seen past what you might find inside anypony's home. A small gray couch, an average size desk with music sheets littering it's surface, and a separate lyre stand placed beside it. The kitchen resembled a closet with a sink offering little to the eye, having only few cupboards with nothing to offer but small cooking utensils to prepare what pathetic amounts of food was available.
Lyra's bedroom was about as exciting as the rest of the apartment. A simple bed and desk with a few personal items cast about. The only thing of note being the closet, now bulging with more clothes than Lyra ever hoped to own. Each event, each ensemble, each orchestra Lyra attended always seemed to require formal wear she wasn't in possession of. Growing up, Lyra had two formal dresses, and that was all. Now she was in possession of a dozen dresses, each a different color and style. Though unnecessary to life and painful on her bits, the gowns had been for work.
Between the heaves of crying, powerful sobs, and her unusual sleeping position on the floor, Lyra's body greeted her with sharp pains and prolonged aches. A gurgle quickly followed by a rough cough was Lyra's retort as she stood. She raised a weak hoof to wipe her eyes which had become crusted over with tears. The light that filled her vision was painful, even more so was the sight of the dried puddles of tears around her. Wishing to avoid her pools of despair, Lyra made her way to the bathroom to make an attempt towards reviving herself.
A long cold shower, and quiet meal for one returned Lyra to her more conventional appearance. The more irregular part of her being the expression of sorrow that had descended upon her face. A thought through her mind followed by a jolt of pain in her chest brought Lyra back to reality.
“What am I supposed to do now?” she questions quietly to herself.
It was a solid question, but one that she believed nopony had a definite answer to. Lyra was out of bits and out of time. The last several months and the last few bits in her trust fund had been spent on her efforts to get into the Symphony. It would be another year until the auditions were held again, and that was assuming a strings seat was available. Lyra didn't have the means to make it that long with out work. Finding work would prove difficult as she didn't have an agent, and no where near enough bits to hire one. She didn't even have a reputation to ride on, and even if she had, it was just decimated by her audition's review.
Her options were rather slim, and having to rely on others was not high on Lyra's list of fantasies. Ever since she was a filly she always wanted to do things on her own, not because she was stuck up or had to much pride. She just felt that she, and everypony else, should be able to stand on her own. That was something she just could not manage at this point.
Lyra quickly flicked through her mind for who she could go to. Her parents had recently moved to Manehatten, which was about as far away as Lyra could imagine. Not mentioning the fact that the majority of living spaces in that city were fairly small, often barely accommodating the “recommended” number of inhabitants.
With her parents now scratched off her list, Lyra needed a new plan.
She pondered a moment longer before a particularly lucky stallion came to her mind.
“Well it looks like it is time for that favor.” She nodded inwardly.
Not wanting to waste time Lyra packed her things quickly, her mind distracted with fleshing out the finer details of her plan. She decided to take all of her gowns, they were expensive and she would be needing them again. She felt like some sort of debutant with how the majority of her suitcases were filled with nothing but dresses. The few personal items she had sufficiently filled her small saddlebags. Leaving a note explaining her situation and what would be her last months rent on the table, she counted her remaining funds and made for the door. She sighed on what would be the last view of her apartment, and with that she magicked open the door behind her.
“Oh- well good morning Lyra darling.” A formal and familiar voice resounded behind Lyra in the now open door. Lyra whipped around to see the closest thing to acquaintance she had made during her time spent in Canterlot. A soft gray earth pony mare stared at her confused for a moment. Her jet black mane styled long and perfect forming with her body while the soft lavender treble clef on her flank gave just the perfect accent to her style. Her signature pink bow tie on a bright white collar around her neck.
Lyra hesitated for a moment, not expecting to see anyone she knew before she left.
“Oh, hello Octavia. I was just on my way to the train station, I assume you along with everyone else heard about my review.” Lyra addressed her with a downward glance.
“I have, although I had not imagined you would be leaving. I am terribly sorry about the auditions my dear, I do hope you are doing alright and have not given up playing over their silly words.” Octavia replied, her voice soft and filled with sympathy.
“Oh don't go worrying about me Octavia, I will still be playing and I will still try to do my very best. However, failing the auditions and having no other work leave me with little choice but leave. I simply can't afford to stay in Canterlot any longer” Lyra explained, trying her best to maintain her composure and sound professional.
“By the sounds and looks of things you already have a course of action?” Octavia inquired while looking over the few suitcases that followed Lyra upon her magic's request. “Where will you be going then?”
“I'm going to be staying in Ponyville.” Lyra began “A stallion named Lucky lives there, and he lives up to his name. He was 'lucky' I was there to save his life one particular day. He told me that he would forever owe me a favor for my actions.” Octavia eyes were widened, a look of amazement painted on her face. “So, I hope he doesn't mind me using that favor as a voucher for a place to stay for a while” Lyra finished.
Octavia stammered for just a moment. “Oh- well- um” She took a deep breath to collect herself. “Well then dear, I wish you the best of... luck” Octavia said with a painful groan. Lyra answered her pun with a short laughing fit.
“Did I really just say that” Octavia exclaimed, putting a hoof to her face. Her cheeks flushed just a little. “I think Vinyl is beginning to wear off on me, Celestia help me.”
“Oh my, Thank you for that.” Lyra assured her before clearing her throat. “But in the meantime, Miss Philharmonica, I must take my leave. It has been a pleasure making your acquaintance and I hope to see you soon.”
Octavia responded with a small grin and short bow before allowing the Unicorn to pass. Lyra stepped passed her with a stride filled with confidence. The true sinking feeling in her stomach hidden by her professional facade. She simply couldn't allow her fellow colleague see her break.
Octavia watched Lyra contently as she passed, seeing each step become more assured in its ability to carry the unicorn. She hadn't known Lyra long, but she knew she was a good pony, and deserved much more than what she was given. Once seeing Lyra exit her vision around the last corner, Octavia felt like an unheard parting word was in order.
“Good Luck.”
Being the closest to city to Canterlot made a train ride to Ponyville a short trip. It was a rapidly developing town, probably to do being the relative suburb of Canterlot. The town had changed drastically since the last time Lyra had been there.
Lyra's thoughts were bouncing everywhere as the began the walk through the familiarly abnormal town. So much of the town was a friendly reminder of her time her before, but then so much more of the town was frighteningly different. The city limits had clearly expanded, with new homes and shops being built on the outskirts.
A particularly eye-catching shop grabbed Lyra's attention. It was a large shop that was having it's finishing touches completed. An oversized arcade stick rested atop the roof, the joystick and buttons moving slightly as mechanics inside brought them to life. The cord that came off mingled with colorful streamers that led off to accent a large smiling drama face. Confetti blew endlessly from giant organ pipes that added to the festive nature of the building. A large brightly lit sign with yielded the title.
“R&T's Games and Guffaws.” Lyra read aloud. “That looks like a place that I will HAVE to visit.”
As she approached more towards the center of town, it became much more familiar. Locations that she would often visit, shop, or hang out at. The large library that was crafted from a still living tree. Sugarcube corner was still the same candy colored standout as it ever was. City Hall stood over watching the town with a defining purpose. This was the Ponyville Lyra knew and loved, and so did every pony else apparently. The place was rather busy with ponies buying and selling goods, grabbing a bit of food for lunch, or just simply enjoying a day out.
Though the larger crowd had caught her off guard, Lyra was still at much more at ease in this environment. Everything was calmer in Ponyville, the liveliness of the town was still a monk's sanctuary in comparison to a “dead” day in Canterlot. The capital city was always in a rush, so many events and celebrations. Everypony in Canterlot raced about, even in their calm professional walks they seemed to be overwhelmed with the need to be somewhere else. Ponyville, every Pony was just enjoying their lives. Making it to the next day with a happy smile on their face. It was a wonderful difference, one that Lyra would enjoy to it's fullest.
Finally finding her way out of Town Square, Lyra directed herself to a more residential area. This area of Ponyville was almost nothing but housing, with only a few shops dotting the area. The houses, though similar, held held their own personality. The ponies residing him them having displays of flowers, paintings, decorations, or even displays of the Cutie Mark of that houses owner. The small homes seemed so quaint and unique in comparison to Canterlot's larger buildings and apartment complexes.
Lyra sighed as her knees and legs ached and complained at her, a small headache had started to build thanks to having to magic her bags for the entire trip. It had been quite a walk seeing as the train station was on the complete opposite side of town. She had elected to not take a short respite in town square due to the commotion taking place there. Just a few more blocks away was Lucky”s house, where she could finally hope to rest.
Lyra rounded the last corner before turning onto Clip Clop Lane, the short street where Lucky's home sat. Lucky actually lived in a double home, it was kinda like two large apartments smushed together. The only difference between them and a duplex, was that both families would enter and exit through the same door, having their own indoor entrances into their respective houses.
Lyra stepped inside the first door, the warmth of the homes quickly dissipating the chill on her coat. A few towels were hung by the door so that guests could dry themselves if the day had been rainy. A couple boxes for mail and a small desk were all else that filled the small greeting room. After releasing the magic hold she was maintaining on her bags Lyra approached the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A few moments passed, no answer.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Another few moments passed, Lyra listened but heard not a single noise from the opposite side.
“I guess I shouldn't be surprised him not being home on a day like today.” She commented matter-of-factually to herself. She kept speaking as she lowered herself beside her bags. “I'll just rest for a while and wait for him to get home”
Lyra waited patiently, planning out the days ahead of her. Each thought brought new life and hope to her as she dreamed of rebuilding her career. Discovering what the judges meant and doing her best to solve it, and finally joining Octavia on stage in the Symphony. She continued thinking as time passed, simply happy to not be traveling.
And she waited...
…
And she waited...
The sun was just starting to set when Lyra heard another Pony begin to open the entryway door. Lyra sat up immediately, excitement filled her eyes as with a small package floated up beside her. She had brought a dress shirt from Canterlot in hopes that in would soften the rudeness she had for not writing or giving him any forewarning of her arrival.
Much to Lyra's dismay, a dark blue pegasus mare stepped through the door, a similarly colored colt behind her.
“Oh, hi there.” The mare addressed to Lyra with a confused look on her face. A glance at the bags beside the mint unicorn instantly changed the mares expression. “OH! Are you my new neighbor? I heard you would be moving in soon!”
Lyra was taken aback by her statement, at first not entirely sure of what she meant. Had lucky somehow know she was coming and had already told the mare, or was she by chance possibly in the wrong building.
Lyra stuttered for a moment. “Well, I- uh- I was looking for Lucky. I am a friend of his and was coming so as to stay with him for a while.”
The blue mares expression quickly changed back to confusion.
“Sweetie, Lucky moved out a few months ago. He was fortunate enough to land a big time career in Las Pegasus, I do forget what he was said he would be doing.” She clapped her hooves in the air with a smile, looking off in remembrance. “He was so excited I couldn't much understand his words anyway. Always a lively one Lucky is, was he expecting you?”
With each word Lyra's face had slowly become drained of every spark of happiness it once held. Lucky wasn't just not home, he didn't even live here anymore. Lyra had never considered the possibility that he might move, he had lived in Ponyville his entire life. He had apparently once again lived up to his name and has become some big shot on the other side of Equestria.
“Sweetie, is everything alright? You look as though a timberwolf just crossed your path.” The mare inquired, clearly worried but still attempting to move towards her door.
“I.. um- I..” Lyra shook her head, trying to regain her composure. “I'm fine. I-I'll just be going.” Lyra weakly grabbed hold of her bags with her magic before heading towards the exit. “Thank you for your time.”
The door closed behind her with a solid 'clunk'. Lyra could do nothing but stare at the road in front of her, unable to comprehend what just transpired. She pawed a hoof at the ground for a moment, as if trying to dig an answer from the earth. Sadly, the dirt offered no such response. The only thing it bestowed was dirty fur and a cold hoof.
“Now what?” Lyra asked herself, tears building again in her eyes.
With that small question leading to a hundred more that would only lend to the travesty taking place before her eyes. Lyra simply began to walk. To where she was unsure, but it had to be better than sitting on the cold cobblestone.
Her hooves made soft clicks as she walked, the question echoing in her mind once again.
“Now what?”
The sun had begun it's final descent as Lyra slowed her pace. Her blind travels had brought her to the town's park. She had always loved this park, she had went every day she had a chance. It was such a peaceful place, with birds chirping softly in the distance. She slowed her walk as she came to park bench. There wasn't anything particularly offsetting about the bench, but it did hold one of Lyra's most cherished memories.
It was here that she had first saw another unicorn playing a harp. She sat in perfect position on the park bench, her harp poised next to her. The notes from the other pony's instrument sang to her heart like nothing she could ever imagine. The music had locked her solid in place more than the grandest of spells or the most powerful of spells.
The unicorn played for what seemed like hours to Lyra. Each stroke of the strings bringing a wave of warmth to her entire being. She listened all until she felt a soft hoof upon her shoulder, her mother was there listening as well. A few more moments passed and the unicorn had finished her ballad. She opened her eyes slowly to gaze upon her audience, a smile was all she gave before packing up and trotting away.
Lyra couldn't stop talking on the way home that night. She never let up, bouncing alongside her mother as they kept a swift pace home. Lyra was overwhelmed with excitement at the earlier performance, it was at this moment her mother slowed her trot. She looked down down upon Lyra with a soft grin on her face.
“Lyra dear, did you enjoy that mare's performance?” Her mother inquired.
“More than anything else in the world Mom!” Lyra replied, brimming with energy.
“I should say so, just look that flank!” Her mother exclaimed while gesturing towards Lyra's hind end.
Lyra face was filled with shock before her eyes even made it to her flank. Bewilderment overtook every inch of her face as she looked upon her backside. Her previously blank flank was now adorned with a beautiful new design. A miniature golden harp was now seemingly shining from her hind end, her cutie mark now a part of her.
Lyra was pulled from her memory as she now stared at the very bench that set her entire existence on course. Every moment of her life had been a result of that moment, and it had all brought her back the the same spot. The entire multitude of her entire life was laidd out before her, in the form of one small bench. It is where the first brick was laid, and where the last one will be taken down.
She placed a weak hoof on the bench before dragging herself up on top. She rested there, the cool wood pressed against her underbelly. She took a moment to relax her body and calm her mind before using her magic to open the case containing her lyre. She brought the instrument to her eyes to look it over, she knew every inch of it by memory. It wasn't just her passion, it was part of her soul. It meant everything to her.
With that in mind, she played.
The song was something she had hoped to play for her coronation ceremony into the Symphony. It was a short piece that her mother had helped her write several years ago. She had never perfected it and rarely even practiced it. She had thought it arrogant to ready ones victory performance before they had even won, and she was right. She had instead chosen to put the majority of her time and effort into her auditions.
The soothing tones and calm pitches sang their way through the park. Lyra danced her magic effortlessly across the strings effortlessly, bringing life to both memories and dreams. Eyes closed, she could see her audience awestruck before her. The beauty of her song meandering it's way through their hearts and mind.
The light against Lyra's face slowly started to fade, the warmth that it provided also taking it's leave. The sun reduced to a small fragment on the horizon as the lyrist's song sang it to sleep. The dream she was so desperately holding onto began to drift away, following the sun's precious rays. She was being brought back to reality as her piece came to it's close. A reality that she was not alone in.
A mare's voice broke the silence.
“That... That was simply beautiful! I don't think I have ever heard something so marvelous, so- oh my goodness.”
The sudden intrusion had startled Lyra, who was previously completely oblivious to her onlooker. A beautiful earth pony sat before her, resting on her rear haunches with a captivated expression plastered on her face. Her coat was beige in color and looked well maintained, a long mane of dark blue with a rose pink stripe flowed down her neck and ended in three large curls. Three small candies, wrapped and bowed were pictured on her flank. Her eyes were captivating, soft cerulean in color and still permanently transfixed on the the mint green Unicorn.
“Um- why... Thank you” Lyra managed to squeeze out. She had never done anything even resembling a private performance in the past. It felt different, a single opinion being the only bias. There was no mood of the audience, nor hive mind of judges. Just the single mare that was now sitting before her.
“Do you play for the Symphony!?” The mare investigated with excitement. The inquiry was unexpected and brought an unwelcome bit of pain to Lyra. She let out a long sigh before offering a response.
“I am afraid not, they uh... They didn't want me.”
“WHAT!?! They didn't want you? You are marvelous! Are you a local performer then? Are you out here practicing for your next show? Did I just get some sort of preview? Oh I simply must go!” The over-excited mare now on the verge of flat out interrogating the lyrist.
Choosing to stay short on words, Lyra answered the entire barrage of questions with a single word.
“No.”
The mare cocked her head in obvious confusion.
“Well, then- What are you doing out here?” She asked in a much quieter tone.
Lyra wasn't exactly excited about the thought of retelling her quickly overwhelmingly painful story. She hoped to dodge it as best she could.
“My name is Lyra Heartstrings.” She introduced herself with a small and professional bow. At least as professional as she could manage from her sitting position atop the bench.
“I'm Bon Bon. Thank you, But that wasn't my question” Bon Bon said while sticking tongue out ever so slightly.
Lyra's efforts had made no progress the earthen mare was still maintaining her interrogation. Lyra gave herself a moment to think it over. She didn't have much to lose, having already half decided she was sleeping in the park that night. If this Bon Bon had such a large interest in her story, she might as well share it. The company for a short while would be appreciated at the very least.
“Ok, but please try not to ask TOO many questions” Lyra conceded with another sigh.
She began her story from the beginning while doing her best to maintain a quick pace. Moving through her Cutie Mark story, to her discovery of the difference between harp and lyre, to her enrollment in music school, and all through the auditions and her latest travels. While she did have several questions, Bon Bon was polite enough to withhold the majority of them in favor of the engaging tale. Lyra finished by bringing them to where they now sat, the last moments of sunset in the park.
“Well, that settles in then” Bon Bon said while raising herself onto her hooves.
Lyra looked at Bon Bon completely perplexed. They hadn't discussed anything that might need settling.
“Settles what?” She asked with genuine confusion.
“You are staying with me, and that is that.” Bon Bon answered with a small trot over to Lyra's bags. Her movements were energetic and her walk was full of life, each step causing the curls of her mane and tail to bob.
“Wait, whu-?” Lyra began before being cut short.
“Don't question it, no need to waste time on silly things. The sun is almost set and my house and shop are still a few blocks from here. We best hurry if we are too make it before it gets too dark.” The beige mare explained, leaving no room for Lyra to speak. “I don't want to think where else you might have possibly slept.” She finished
“I don't want your chari-” Lyra started again before being cut off... again.
“Then don't think of it is me being gracious. You may consider it payment for allowing me the privilege of hearing that beautiful song you played a moment ago” Bon Bon asserted while grabbing one of Lyra's bags in hoof.
“Come along now Lyra, we should hurry.” She said curtly while bumping her flank into Lyra's as she passed the bench, already making her in the direction of her home.
Though taken aback by Bon Bon's actions, Lyra packed her lyre away before grabbing her remaining bags with her magic. She just couldn't get a strong read on the mare, if she was just being kind or if there was something else there. Bon Bon's offer was unexpected and she had given her little room to oppose it. The thought of opposing a roof and a warmer place to sleep was preposterous anyhow.
With her thoughts in a jumble and completely unsure of anything, Lyra stayed in tow of the newly met mare. She didn't much know what to expect anymore, but followed anyway. In the dark icy casket that had become Lyra's heart, a small flame began to kindle; with it, the slightest smile met Lyra's lips.
Night had begun, wrapping Ponyville in Luna's dark and beautiful night. The sun had just vanished over the horizon, taking with it what would have been the last brick of Lyra's hope and faith. But just as that brick crumbled away, a new one fell from the heavens and took it's place.
Although. Something was different about this particular stone. It was a light yellow in color, and...
It smelled of bon bons.
Author's Note
So. I originally intended to load this in a fashion so it could be edited.
I apparently did that wrong, so it is still in its base condition.
It will probably be edited later and I will try to not mess up with the other chapters.
I hope that you enjoyed the first chapter, any and all feedback is appreciated.
Lyra awoke the next morning feeling more rested than she had ever hoped. She would occasionally imagine what sleeping on a cloud might be like, and decided it must be something similar to the bed she was currently lay in. Bon Bon had practically shoved Lyra into her guest bedroom, while not large it was certainly inviting.
Lyra sat up in the bed, stretching her muscles as she arose. Her mind already drifting to the previous night.
The sun finished it's descent and the air had become rather chilly as the two mares approached Bon Bon's shop. If the shop had a sign indicating it's name, Lyra could not make it out through the darkness. Vision inside the shop was even more limited, with Bon Bon offering little to remedy that as she trotted up the stairwell. A small click at the top of the door gave entrance into earth pony's home. Lyra wouldn't call the house small, cozy was a more appropriate word. Despite it's size, the entire place was very alive. Even through the darkness, the bright colors and vivid hues shone brightly.
“I can give you a grand tour tomorrow if you want, you look like your about to collapse.” Bon Bon announced while placing a couple of Lyra's bags next to the door.
Lyra's professional demeanor had completely abandoned her, leaving her clueless to the proper and professional response. Was it more polite for her just comply with Bon Bon's suggestion, or to openly express her interest in her host's home? Acknowledging she was too tired to decipher her own questions revealed the answer.
“I think sleep is what I really need right now, this has been a long couple of days.” the mint green unicorn replied, finally conceding to her body's unrelenting requests for rest.
“Well in that case, lets get you settled in.” Bon Bon cheerily said while happily trotting off through the house.
Lyra wearily followed, not sharing any of the other mare's energy. A bobbing pink and blue tail the only guidance she had through the dark house. The two toned beacon offering enough to prevent Lyra from colliding with any of the room's furnishings. A short trot and Bon Bon paused next to a dimly lit room, turning around with a hoof gesturing towards the room.
“This will be your room, make yourself comfortable.” Bon Bon explained to the tired mare.
Lyra drug heavy hooves through the door, brushing past Bon Bon just slightly. First sight of the room displayed our rarely the room saw use. A dim glow from the street light right outside the window cast soft light on the area. Quite contrary to the rest of the colorful house, the room was simple and plain. She gave the room another short glace before turning to face her host.
“Thank you so much Bon Bon, I wish I could tell you how much this means to me.” Lyra said, her feeble words offering praise to the other mare.
A giggle and a wink were all Bon Bon gave response before turning away.
“Sleep well Lyra.”
Barely moments later and Lyra was comfortable in bed, drifting fast to sleep.
“What time is it?” Lyra thought quietly while attempting rub sleep from her eyes. Her memory and question quickly being sorted to the back of her mind by a lovely aroma filling her nostrils.
“Oh my, something smells delicious” she whispered to herself.
A second short stretch and another whiff of the food coming from the other room was all the coaxing Lyra needed to leave the warm blankets behind. A full nights rest had restored some of Lyra's demeanor, preventing her from exiting the bedroom in her current state. She allowed herself a few moments for composure before making for the bedroom door; opening it to a smiling Bon Bon on the other side, a hoof raised in preparation to knock.
“Oh-” Bon Bon stammered for a moment. “Good Morning! I was coming to wake you up for breakfast.”
“Thank you, but the amazing smell woke me up rather well on it's own” Lyra retorted with a giggle.
“Why just smell ti when you can eat it? Come get some!” the cream colored mare said with an excited trot towards the kitchen.
Lyra wasn't one to hesitate when it came to food, she quickly followed her gracious host. She stepped into a kitchen that was approaching blinding levels of colorful. In addition to the piles of ingredients everywhere, it smelled like heaven. Everything from sugar to flour, jams and syrups, frosting, and everything else you could imagine. It brought an image to Lyra’s mind of what Whinny Wonka's chocolate factory might be like.
A small table was placed off to the side, set for two. Lyra approached the seat opposite of Bon Bon and looked at her meal. It could have been dog food with how hungry she was, but what she gazed upon looked fit for a Princess. A delicious plate of pancakes, sided with eggs and jasmine petals.
“Sorry my kitchen is such a mess” Bon Bon apologized as they began their meal. “I work out of my house, and this is the only kitchen I have available.”
Though first tempted to try talking through the several bites she had already managed to wedge into her maw, Lyra manage to retain some dignity. She gave herself a moment to finish the portion she was currently working on before replying.
“I would not even imagine of judging the home of a Pony who offered me a warm bed for the night.” Lyra said, trying to reassure the other mare. “Besides, it looks fine! You clearly have some organization and seem to be doing well for such an upcoming businessmare. It appears like your business is really kicking off the ground”
A soft pink hue adorned Bon Bon's cheeks at hearing the compliment.
“Why, thank you. I assure you it didn't start out that way.” the earth pony began.
“You see, this business was kinda a spur of the moment thing. I was in the middle of a run-of-the-mill job and got bored, plus a little fed up with having to listen to other ponies. So I quit, grabbed some money and opened my own business.”
Bon Bon paused to take a drink before licking her lips to start again.
“I didn't exactly have a plan... at all. It was a stupid and spontaneous action that could have landed me in a lot of trouble. It was a certainly rough start when I realized that I had essentially zero knowledge of how a business was supposed to be operated. It took me a long time to get this place into any sort of order. But by some stroke of luck I actually began to turn a small profit, although it wasn't until after I had coated the entire house in sugar, flour, and food coloring.”
“Is that where the current style of the house originated?” Lyra inquired, still struggling to refrain from turning her mouth into a food vacuum.
Bon Bon giggled as she looked about the room.
“A little, I grew up here and my parents always kept it pretty plain. After opening the store and wrecking the place a time or two, I became accustomed to the bright chaos of colors. They suit the shop and they match me pretty well too, don'tcha think?
Lyra choked a little on her current forkful of pancake after hearing the question. She had barely known the other mare for twelve hours, she didn't have a clue what Bon Bon was truly like. How was she supposed to answer that question? She didn't want to overdo it and sound like a brown noser, but she didn't want to sound to unimpressed and offend her either.
“Um, well-” Lyra paused to take another glance around the room. The bright colors and sweet scents still threatening to overwhelm her senses.
“Yeah, all of this is pretty wonderful.” Lyra answered with a weak smile.
“I am glad you think I am wonderful Miss Heartstrings.” Bon Bon replied with a sly wink.
“Wait- whu.. I just- um..” Lyra stammered while heat flooded her cheeks. A wave of laughter barraging her from across the table.
“Loosen up Lyra, you aren't going to upset me. Just chill, Okay?” Bon Bon assured the unicorn with calming soft smile.
“I'm sorry, you have already been so gracious to me, I just don't want to do anything wrong.” Lyra explained, trying to regain some of her professionalism.
Having finished her meal amazingly between sentences, Bon Bon rose from the table. She placed her glass and dinnerware on the plate before balancing all of it precariously on her muzzle.
“You don't come across as a mare that would do something wrong Lyra, not intentionally anyways.”
Lyra didn't fully comprehend the compliment, instead being entranced by the grace of the earth pony who was managing to balance a complete set of dinnerware on her muzzle, while talking and traversing the room. Lyra had never even attempted such a task, she would have just used magic.
She tried to remember possibly seeing Octavia perform such a feat, but the high class mare always assistance. Unicorns magicked her bags or removed her finished courses. Lyra admitted that the action was probably all around her, but she was too focused on work to notice.
“How do you do that?!” The mint unicorn blurted out.
Bon Bon paused for a moment.
“Do what?” She asked back in genuine confusion.
“Balance all of that stuff, and move around. I have some poise, but I could never manage something like that.”
Bon Bon just giggled at the question.
“Us Earth Ponies don't have your Unicorn Magic. We have to learn to get by through other means. We can't just will the dishes into the sink. It is just part of being me.” She explained with pride as she carefully slid the dishes off her snout and into the sink. She began to giggle one again at the expression of amazement still plastered on Lyra's face.
“Jeez, we are going to have to get you out more. But if it is that intriguing to you, you could always try it you know” The Earth Pony finished while gesturing towards the plate in front of Lyra, a small grin across her lips.
Lyra's gaze lowered to the empty plate in front of her. It had always been so easy for her to just will her magic to lift the plate into the air and move it over to the sink. She wouldn't even have to move from her seat. Some ponies saw it as rude and lazy for a Unicorn to perform such tasks without any movement, thus why most unicorns walked beside whatever they were levitating.
“Um, I am not completely sure. I don't entirely believe that I can.”
Bon Bon responded with another tiny chortle before moving back across the room. She came up beside Lyra and bumped flanks with the sitting Unicorn.
“Come on! You can just catch it with with your magic if anything goes wrong. I can twist your hoof if you need the motivation.” Bon Bon announced while giggling further.
“Heh, no. You don't have to do that.” Lyra replied, a quiver in her voice.
“Why does this scare me so much” she thought nervously to herself. “It is just a plate, come on you filly”
“Lyra, you alright?” Bon Bon asked, a small bit of concern in her face.
“Huh- oh yeah. I'm fine. I was just concentrating on how to approach this” Lyra explained.
Bon Bon let out another small chuckle.
“Is it really that daunting of a task?” the Earth Pony inquired, trying to calm herself.
Lyra inhaled deeply while moving towards the plate.
“It isn't exactly daunting, it is just something I have never done before. I don't really know how to go about doing this.”
Lyra lifted a hoof to slide the plate onto her snout. In order to get close enough she had to lower her head to the table. She scooted the plate over to her face and tried to place her nose in the direct center of the plate. The cool touch of the ceramic gave her a good measuring point, and she felt confident in it's placement.
After feeling more of the plates weight on the tip of her muzzle rather than on the table. She tried to slowly lift her head. Barely and inch off the surface and it began to wobble, Lyra immediately began to ready her magic. Just when she thought she was gonna have to grab it, it managed to balance itself. Just a few moments more and she was standing upright, a plate on her face.
“There ya go, you made it up! That is a start, now to get over to the sink.” Bon Bon cheered encouragingly.
Lyra smiled for a moment before realizing that her changed facial expression adjusted the plate's stance. Feeling the weight shift made her a bit uneasy, so she quickly set her face back to the blank determination she had before. The concept of not moving her head while attempting to walk seemed silly. Still, she stretched out and took a single step. Success
“That's one, now just a few more!” Bon Bon applauded.
Another step and the unicorn was moving slowly across the kitchen. It truly was a simple task, but accomplishing it brought her an immense amount of self satisfaction. It was nothing like music, she knew she could play any piece, she just had to perfect it. This was something brand new to her, and she loved it. A small giggle of her own escaped her lips, causing her to close her eyes for just a moment. The wrong moment.
Lyra's hoof snagged one of the bags of flour placed about the room, offsetting her balance. The plate weight shifted and slid straight off her muzzle, diving for the floor. Too distracted by her previous success, Lyra dove to catch it. Imagining a miraculous save, the green unicorn instead flopped clumsily to the floor. A deafening crash sounded as the plate met the floor was accompanied by a face full of flour.
A defeated Lyra lay on the floor, a large bag of flour impaled on her horn. Much like the rest of the room, she was covered head to hoof in the white powder.
Not but a moment later, laughter billowed throughout the house.
Bon Bon sprawled around on the ground, clutching her stomach in pain. Her unrelenting laughter muffled by her body forcing her to breathe. Every short breath immediately released another wave of her loud cackle.
A torrential rain of shame washed over Lyra. She pounded her head with her hoof before softly dropping it to the ground in defeat.
'I had it for Celestia's sake.' Lyra began in her head. 'I just had to go and mess that up, I had it in the bag!. I couldn't just stay focused on the task at hand. If I didn't look stupid enough before, now I am a total disgrace. Ugh, I don't want to even think about what I might have damaged.'
Lyra took a moment to look about the room. There was flour absolutely everywhere, coating the bright colors and candies. Once looking closer she could see the small shards of the plate. The room was a total disaster, with Bon Bon rolling in the midst of it all. She was laughing, obviously at the total flop that had become Lyra.
“I am so sorry Bon Bon. I got excited and distracted, and now... Oh your kitchen, I am so sorry.” Lyra quickly rattled off, continuing on with more apologies.
Bon Bon had managed to stop laughing long enough to stand up, only before having to stifle another giggle at sight of Lyra.
The mint green unicorn was hardly green anymore. She was peppered in flour, turning her coat white with a very soft hint of green. She still had pieces of the flour sac on her horn, a few other pieces snagged on her hoof.
“Oh my-” Bon Bon let out with a snicker. “I have made bigger messes in my kitchen before. I will say that given the amount of flour on the walls, this is one of the more impressive ones I have seen.” She finished while glancing around the room.
Lyra curled into herself, trying to disappear from all existence. Being in the middle of the room and the mess made the task a bit more difficult to manage.
“I am really am sorry! I will start cleaning it up right away, and I still have a little money left to replace your plate.” Lyra apologized again.
Bon Bon's face went from entertained to confused. She took a few steps towards Lyra and placed a hoof on her shoulder.
“Lyra, don't worry about the plate. It was just a plate, I HAVE more you know. It isn't THAT big of a deal.”
“But Bon Bon, look at this place. You let me stay here one night and I have already wrecked the place.” Lyra said with a gesture of her hoof.
“Eh, It's been worse. Besides, You should be more worried about getting that flour out of your coat rather than cleaning this room.” The cream pony said while brushing her hoof through Lyra's coat, small clouds of flour puffed into the air.
Lyra took a moment to look down on herself. The expected well groomed soft green coat was now replaced with mangled clumps of flower. It hadn't occurred to her that the flour around the room meant that is was covering her as well.
“I look ridiculous don't I?” She asked very pointedly.
Bon Bon stifled another giggle.
“Well... Yeah.” She replied bluntly.
“It is gonna take a while to get out too. You can't shower otherwise you will turn into a giant ball of bread dough”
Lyra eyes grew larger at the thought of becoming a something resembling the Fillybury Dough Pony.
“That sounds absolutely mortifying.” Lyra proclaimed with a dumbfounded look on her face.
Bon Bon took a few steps back from the flour coated mare before replying.
“I can imagine why you might not like the thought of being a walking bird treat. No worries though, I get flour in my coat all the time. Now, start by shaking as much of it out and then we will have to grab a fine brush to get the rest”
“But won't shaking just get flour everywhere?” Lyra asked looking around the room.
Bon Bon deadpanned.
“Do you really think that matters now?”
If not for the flour, a soft blush could be seen on Lyra's cheeks. She lifted a a hoof and scratched the back of her head.
“I guess it IS still possible for me to make a further fool of myself isn't it.”
Bon Bon let out quiet sigh before shaking her head.
“Oh Lyra, what am I going to do with you.”
Lyra answered with a small giggle while beginning to shake. She shook her head while shivering the muscles in her neck. A few shakes, stomps, and jumps later led to an explosion of flour.
“WOW!” Bon Bon exclaimed while backing further away from the room.
Lyra's only response was a rough cough. The small white powder had formed a thick fog in the kitchen, it was choking and blinding. Attempting to make her way out of the kitchen, Lyra directed herself towards Bon Bon's voice.
After managing to escape the rampaging storm of baking ingredients, Lyra's eyes fell upon the cream colored mare who was intently sitting on her haunches watching her. A fast toss sent a brush hurdling towards Lyra, who quickly snagged the brush in her magical grasp.
“Sure, I can catch that” Lyra said grudgingly to herself while beginning to brush smaller bits of flour out of her coat.
“Oh stop being so hard on yourself Lyra.” Bon Bon started while beginning a trot towards the kitchen, pausing to bump flanks with the other mare.
“If it is any constellation, it was one of the most comical displays I have seen in months. Now, you clean up yourself and I will begin on this, um- task.” She finished with a small chuckle, making for a broom.
Lyra continued to brush her coat, trying to limit the amount of flour that spread around the cleaner parts of the room. Using her magic for simple acts such as brushing did little to occupy Lyra's brain, so she found herself staring at Bon Bon while she worked.
The soft yellow Earth Pony was hard at work clearing away the flour. She was humming an upbeat tune with her eyes closed, making her way through the room by memory. She had a strong smile plastered on her face, and seemed perfectly content.
'She seems so happy, so upbeat. As a guest I have done little past be in the way and wreck her kitchen. How does she manage it, I would have completely exploded by now.' Lyra thought quietly while mindlessly brushing herself.
“How do you do that?” Lyra asked quietly, a bit louder than she intended.
Bon Bon paused, dropping back to all four hooves and leaning the broom against her. A smirk growing on her face.
“If you are talking about how I operate a broom with my hooves, then you are a more desperate cause then I thought.” She laughed blatantly in response.
“Don't worry, you can try it. But maybe we should try it outside this time, if you promise to try to not wreck the cobblestone. Golden Harvest's carrot patch might need to watch out though.” She finished with a sly grin and a quick wink.
'When did you lose all forms of professional conversation Lyra, that question was wide open to anything' Lyra thought to herself, bringing a hoof to her face.
“I guess I walked into that one a bit didn't I” Lyra grumbled out, with Bon Bon displaying her tongue proudly before restarting her task.
“I meant how are you not angry with me? How do you still keep your peppy and joy filled attitude? How do you... Just how?” Lyra asked with a bit of worry in her voice.
Bon Bon dropped again and took a few steps towards Lyra. Her face softening and her smile weakening just a little. She paused for a moment to gaze upon Lyra, before closing the rest of the distance.
A moment of silence before Bon Bon raised a hoof and took the brush out of Lyra's magic. A shift to the side and she rested back on her haunches raising her hooves in the air.
“Lyra.” She began softly, taking Lyra's soft blue mane in her hooves. She raised the brush and started slowly filtering out trapped clumps of flour.
“Your high class life, fancy parties, and stuck up cohorts have really done a number on your outlook on life.” Bon Bon commenced, letting the initial statement linger while struggling with a larger patch of flour.
“You worry too much and look too far into things. I am not upset because I have no reason to be, it was an accident. It wasn't your fault and thankfully you weren't hurt. I am happy because regardless of what happens, it will be a memory and a story that we can both tell for years. A memory that I hope YOU will smile about, instead of being the worrywart that you are now. Learn to enjoy life a little more and maybe laugh a bit, everything isn't a performance or an audition ya know. There is no one here that is going to judge you or tell you that you are not worthy.”
The words pounded into Lyra's head like a nail, only to be soothed by the soft tug on her mane. Bon Bon was right, in every way. Her brain was still locked into the belief of her life as an upcoming performer. She was so worried of Bon Bon's expectations that she was missing out on an exhilarating experience in life. That failure felt like a huge mistake, but her real mistake was not joining Bon Bon in her enjoyment of it.
“I'm sorry Bon Bon, I have been rather foolish. I might as well be a little filly.” Lyra weakly admitted in a soft voice. She pawed slowly at the wooden floor with a hoof.
“Hey, no big! Nopony is perfect, we all fall short at some time or another.” Bon Bon replied, her chipper tone returning. She offered Lyra a large smile while releasing her now flour free mane.
“Thank you, we should get started on that kitchen.” Lyra announced with a trot towards the kitchen, floating a dust pan to start collecting the piles.
Bon Bon happily followed, returning to her broom. Enthusiastic to start up conversation to help time pass, she opened with a question.
“So have you thought about what you are going to do?”
Lyra's magic hesitated in it's task as her mind formed it's answer.
“Well, I thought I would go sell a couple of my performance gowns and use the money to buy a ticket out to Manehatten tonight. It isn't ideal, but my parents are there at least.
Bon Bon stopped in her chore for a moment to look at Lyra with a worried and confused face.
“Ok. My turn to be a worrywart. Do you not feel welcome here?” She asks as sincerely as possible.
Lyra attempted to quickly stutter out a response.
“Wha-oh-no... I am sorry... I feel most welcome, you are a wonderful host. I had just assumed that my stay here was for one night and that I would be needing new plans by the end of the day.”
Bon Bon dropped from her broom abruptly, the wooden handle clocking loudly on the tiles.
“Lyra Heartstrings! I would never dream of sending you back out on the streets. What sort of pony would I be? If Manehatten is not where you wish to go and you find yourself more comfortable here, I strongly encourage you to stay.” She retorted in an almost assertive tone.
“But I have no way to pay my way here, I have nothing to offer you.” Lyra replied in an almost desperate voice.
“I never asked for anything now did I, and I don't expect anything either. You are good pony Lyra who has had some bad luck befall upon you. I meant it when I said that hearing you play was payment enough for me letting you stay, and that has not changed since yesterday.” Bon Bon countered, her voice softening once again into it's higher pitch.
Lyra tried to calm herself and rose up just a bit from the floor, she took a cooling breath before speaking.
“I guess I got ahead of myself. I just don't feel right imposing on you like this.”
Bon Bon's face softened immensely.
“Lyra, you're not.”
Lyra twitched and fidgeting in her own skin.
“If you are sure, I would like to stay here longer. But I have to do something, I could try to go find a job. I could help you around the store, hopefully without destroying. Or, maybe I could play for you again?”
Bon Bon simply smiled and picked her broom back up.
“I would be honored if you would stay. As for helping out, how about we first deal with this flour apocalypse.” She said with a gesture of her hoof.
Lyra nodded excitedly before reinforcing the magic grip on her cleaning tools. With new energy she began to restore the kitchen to it's previous state, one that was primed for baking instead of being baked. A song came to mind that she began to happily sing, the notes flowing from her mouth with more ease then she ever had before.
Lyra felt happy, she was beginning to feel more and more comfortable. The stress and worry slowly melting away, and with it the ease of her music began to rise.
Bon Bon listened intently, secretly admiring the other mare's natural talent. Even without her lyre, the unicorns hymn was captivating. She had a beautiful voice that filled the room, bringing a new life to the bright colors. The notes brought a new smile to Bon Bon's lips, a bright warm smile she couldn't hide if she tried. A small thought shot through her mind.
'Thank you.'
Author's Note
I have just been proof-reading my own stuff, so there might be some mistakes. I apologize for any that are found and please bring them to my attention.
I hope you enjoy the second chapter.
Any and all comments, criticisms, or whatever is appreciated.
Thanks
Reignor Riot
