The Strings of her Heartby craziermite94ChaptersChapter 1: Drowning Her SorrowsChapter 2: A Night to RememberChapter 3: The Morning AfterChapter 4: Night TerrorsChapter 1: Drowning Her SorrowsLyra swallowed down another glass of alcohol. She would take anything to numb the pain. It had been a month since Bon Bon had died. Derpy, not watching where she had been going, bumped right into her, knocking her onto the railroad tracks. Unfortunately, this was just as the Friendship Express was rolling in to the station. Of course, nopony truly blamed Derpy. Everypony knew what she was like. But Lyra wanted somepony to blame, needed somepony to blame. Since Bon Bon died, nothing filled the gaping void inside her except alcohol. Lyra poured herself another drink. “Excuse me, ma’am?” The pony behind the bar said. “You’ve been drinking for nearly four hours, don’t ya think it’s time to call it quits?” Lyra simply looked up and stared at him. She was contemplating saying something, when she felt herself being hauled to her hooves. “Come on now, missy. I think you’ve had a little too much.” Lyra turned around and found herself face to face with a smiling cyan pegasus. She flicked her rainbow-coloured mane. “We’d better get you home.” Lyra found herself nodding in agreement. She’d never really spoken to Rainbow Dash much. After all, they didn’t have anything in common (that Lyra knew of) but Lyra still felt comfortable around her. Or maybe that was just the alcohol talking. Celestia knows there was enough of it in her system. Rainbow led her out of the bar and into Ponyville’s quiet night-time streets. Lyra rested most of her body against Rainbow’s; she was so drunk she couldn’t have possibly made it home without her. Rainbow Dash’s body felt warm against her. Just like Bon Bon’s used to feel… She quickly left that train of thought. She was stood outside of her house. “Well, here we are, right?” They walked up to the front door. “You have the key, right Lyra?” Lyra nodded and her horn glowed. The key floated up to the door and clicked inside the lock. Rainbow Dash carefully helped Lyra climb the stairs and took her to the bed. Lyra simply fell onto it face down. When Rainbow tried to move her, Lyra simply brushed her hooves off. She seemed comfortable enough. As Rainbow Dash turned to leave, Lyra, fuelled by loneliness (or perhaps alcohol), turned and said “Hey Rainbow, do you want to… Maybe… Hang out sometime?” Rainbow was unsure of what to say. She didn’t know Lyra very well; they’d never really spoken much. But she knew that Lyra must be hurting after Bon Bon’s death. She couldn’t just turn her down, she felt sorry for her. “Sure Lyra. How about Saturday? I don’t have to work Saturday.” Lyra simply grunted in approval, before laying her head on the pillow and falling into a deep sleep. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Saturday soon rolled around and Lyra was walking around Ponyville with Rainbow Dash. Lyra hadn’t drunk anything since that night, which she was quite proud of. “So… What do you wanna do Lyra?” Rainbow said. “Oh… I don’t know. What do you normally do on a Saturday, Rainbow?” Lyra had been feeling awkward, but this was slowly starting to melt away as they talked. “Oh. Well, normally on a Saturday…” Rainbow Dash thought to herself. “Well, Lyra, on a Saturday I normally practice all of my top flying techniques for the Wonderbolts.” Lyra seemed to be impressed, which made Rainbow Dash feel pretty good, though she didn’t quite know why. “Wow, the Wonderbolts?” Lyra was genuinely interested now. “Of course! I am the best flier in Ponyville, after all.” There was something about Rainbow Dash’s large ego that Lyra just loved. She felt like she could sit there for hours on end listening to her adventures. Rainbow Dash was on the same train of thought, glad she had found somepony who was actually willing to listen to all of her talk about how great she was. The two went to the park, talking all the way. “Wow, so that was you who performed the Sonic Rainboom?” Rainbow felt a smile crawl across her mouth. “Yeah, that was me.” The sun had begun to set. “Oh, wow, it’s getting late Rainbow.” Rainbow Dash turned to look at the orange sky. “Yeah, I better go home.” Rainbow hovered off the ground. “Wait! I’ll… I’ll see you tomorrow… Right?” Lyra shouted to her. Rainbow looked back and smiled “Of course! This is Rainbow Dash you’re talking to!” And with that, she winked and then flew off, leaving Lyra feeling truly happy for the first time in a month. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Rainbow lay on her bed. She couldn’t get the aquamarine unicorn out of her head. She’d heard about how she and Bon Bon had been close, and Bon Bon’s unfortunate accident. But that was the past. Maybe Lyra needed somepony to cheer her up? Needed somepony to take the pain away? These thoughts made a change for Rainbow. She found her mind flooded with images of Applejack late at night. However much she longed for the orange earth pony, she knew that her friend would never replicate her feelings. Lyra seemed to like Rainbow though. She was finding these thoughts too difficult to comprehend. Perhaps she would go and speak with Twilight in the morning. Her friend always had an answer for everything and was always there for her. Rainbow Dash tossed and turned in her bed. She knew tonight’s sleep would not be any more peaceful than the last. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Twilight was awoken by three loud raps at the front door. “Hey, Twilight, you in there?” She recognised that voice. It belonged to none other than Rainbow Dash. Twilight frantically whipped her head around to look at the clock. It was 7:00 am. She was worried for a moment that she had overslept, since Rainbow Dash was NEVER up this early. Something must be wrong. Twilight thought to herself. Twilight slowly got out of bed and began shambling towards the stairs. She hadn’t had much sleep, she’d been up most of the night re-organising the library. There had just been a shipment of new books, so it was Twilight’s job to make sure they were all in the perfect place. Twilight’s slow pace drove Rainbow Dash to knock on the door again, this time twice as hard. “YO, TWILIGHT, WAKE UP!” Twilight grumbled under her breath and unlocked the front door. “Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here at such an early hour?” Rainbow came inside and sat down. “Twilight, I need your help.” Twilight thought something seemed off; Rainbow Dash was never this sincere. “Of course Rainbow, what is it?” “Well, it’s… About my cousin! Yeah! My cousin… Her head’s a bit messed up at the moment. We were talking and she said… She said she thinks she likes mares.” Rainbow Dash went eerily silent. “I see. And where do I fit in?” Twilight asked. “I was hoping you’d tell me your thoughts on mares wanting other mares.” Twilight picked up on it instantly, but to save Rainbow the embarrassment, she kept it quiet. “Well, I personally have nothing against mares who like other mares. After all, we can’t control who we love and we shouldn’t be judged on it. The only trouble is that these mares have to keep in mind that they can’t have children. And not all ponies are as open minded as I am. I hope your cousin knows this Rainbow. But other than that I wish her every success, and hope that she is happy when she gets this other mare.” Rainbow Dash was shocked. Having been brought up in Canterlot, she felt sure that Twilight would have a very strong, negative opinion on Mare-Mare relationships. Did Twilight suspect something? No, Rainbow Dash felt sure she didn’t. Twilight never was the best at gauging the social stuff. Regardless, she thanked Twilight for the advice and went to leave. “Rainbow? Before you go, can I ask you something?” Rainbow stopped dead in her tracks. Maybe she had picked up on something. She turned around nervously. “Sure, what is it Twilight?” “Promise me you’ll… Remind your cousin to be careful? Love isn’t a game. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have books to sort.” “Alrighty, thanks Twilight.” Rainbow turned around and ran out of the door. Rainbow decided it was now or never. She realised that Applejack would probably never reciprocate her feelings, but Lyra did. The way Lyra looked at Rainbow, the way she leaned so closely to her on the night they met, the way she was happy to just sit there and listen to Rainbow’s stories. Lyra was perfect for her. Rainbow Dash raced over to Lyra’s house as fast as she could, her heart pounding violently against her ribs. It was now or never. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Lyra awoke to a loud banging at her door. Her clock read 7:05. Who could possibly be so desperate to see her at this time? Lyra got out of bed and walked down the stairs. The hammering at her door got louder and more intense. “Alright, alright, keep your horseshoes on!” Lyra sleepily slid back the lock on her door, to reveal a breathless cyan pegasus stood before her. “Rainbow Dash? What the hay are you doing here at this hour?” Rainbow took a deep breath. Her lungs were killing her. The last time she flew that fast was when Rarity and the Wonderbolts were hurtling at breakneck speed towards the ground. “Lyra, I’ve been thinking. I know this may seem soon, but I think you’re a really great unicorn and I was wondering if you’d maybe want to go on a date or something sometime.” Lyra simply stood there. It took her a few seconds for her brain to process what had just happened. She liked Rainbow Dash a lot. But she’d only known her a few days, not to mention that it’d only been a month since Bon Bon… But Lyra stopped there. She thought about Bon Bon. Surely Bon Bon would want her to be happy, wouldn’t she? Going on a date with Rainbow Dash would make her happy again. Rainbow Dash was the first pony who had been able to make her feel genuinely happy since Bon Bon had died. Lyra decided. “… I’d love to go on a date with you Rainbow Dash.” They both blushed. “Really? That’s great! Erm… Is Thursday okay with you? 8 o’clock?” Rainbow Dash could barely contain her happiness. “Yeah, Thursday is great! See you then?” Lyra smiled at her. “Yeah, see you then.” With that, Rainbow Dash slowly hovered off the ground and flew away, Lyra watching her the whole time. Chapter 2: A Night to RememberThursday soon came and Lyra was getting ready for her date. She wanted to make herself look as good as she could for Rainbow Dash. She wore a simple white dress with a gold trim and her hair was done up in a spiked hair bun. She had spent 2 hours getting ready; Rainbow Dash would be there any minute. As if on cue, Lyra heard knocking at her door. “I’m coming!” She said as she practically ran down the stairs. However, she regained her dignified walking pace as she approached the door. Rainbow Dash was stood outside. “Wow, Lyra, you look amazing!” Rainbow wore a dress not much unlike the one she wore for the Grand Galloping Gala. However, this one was a little plainer. “As do you, Rainbow.” Lyra walked outside and shut the door behind her. “So, where will you be taking me tonight, Miss Dash?” Lyra giggled while Rainbow Dash blushed. She hadn’t really planned out where they would go. “Uh, I don’t know, maybe go to the Café for something to eat? Or maybe we could go to Berry Punch’s and get something to drink?” Lyra got the impression that Rainbow hadn’t planned out their evening very well. “Berry Punch’s sounds like a good idea. Let’s go.” The walk to Berry Punch’s club was uncomfortably silent. Rainbow Dash was nothing like her usual brash, headstrong self. After all, it was Rainbow’s first date with anypony, never mind with a mare. “So, Lyra, where do you work?” Rainbow tried to bring some life in to the night. “Oh, I work at the Café. It’s an easy enough job and it brings in the bits. You’re part of the weather patrol, right?” Rainbow’s usual need to boast had seemed to vanish tonight. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool. It’s mostly just pushing clouds back and forth though.” Lyra noticed the absence of Rainbow’s boasting and it made her giggle. “What’s so funny?” Rainbow quizzed. “You’re pretty cute when you’re this shy, you know?” This immediately put Rainbow on the defensive. “What do you mean shy? Me, the great Rainbow Dash, shy? Ha ha ha! I’m never shy! I wasn’t shy when I was showing the Wonderbolts all my awesome moves and I’m certainly not shy now!” This made Lyra laugh even more. “Calm down, Rainbow. I’m just teasing you!” Rainbow felt her face begin to burn with a furious red colour. “Oh, yeah, of course I knew that. Ha ha ha, jokes on you Lyra!” Lyra just laughed again. “Look, here we are.” Rainbow held open the door for Lyra. As soon as she stepped inside she felt the bass pumping through her body, like it was in her blood. She used to love to go out and party. The two walked over to the bar and Rainbow Dash waved over the bartender. She had to shout to make herself heard over the sheer volume of the music. “I’LL HAVE A DOUBLE VODKA ON THE ROCKS! WHAT ABOUT YOU LYRA?” “OH, I’LL JUST HAVE A GIN AND TONIC PLEASE.” “OKAY, A GIN AND TONIC AS WELL.” While the bartender fixed their drinks, Rainbow moved in close to talk to Lyra. “Strange, I would’ve figured you quite a strong drinker, considering how much you had drunk on the night we met!” Lyra blushed. “Well, normally I am, but… I hear that the vodka in this place is imported directly from Stalliongrad!” Rainbow Dash grinned and winked. She felt her confidence coming back. “Just the way I like it!” The bartender returned with their drinks and Rainbow paid him. They went and found a quiet corner to sit down in, although even in the quietest corner the music was still loud enough to deafen you. The two sat down and just sipped at their drink, searching for a way to break the awkward silence. “So…” Lyra feebly attempted to kindle a conversation. It didn’t work. “So… How ya doin’ Lyra?” “I’m okay, thank you. How about you?” Rainbow Dash sipped again at her drink. “I’m good.” The silence crawled its way back into their presence. “Rainbow Dash, would you like to dance?” Lyra took a bold move to try and spice up the night. Rainbow Dash giggled. “I doubt I’m drunk enough to dance, but okay!” Lyra grabbed Rainbow’s hoof and pulled her up, leading her to the dance floor. Lyra was going to make tonight a night to remember. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Lyra was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. Her vision had started to blur and her hooves were unsteady. She was dancing with Rainbow Dash, who appeared to be severely drunk, even more so than she was. Suddenly Rainbow Dash stopped dancing and gazed into Lyra’s eyes for a second. Then, she quickly leaned her and kissed her. Lyra was shocked; she hadn’t expected it to happen so soon, nor was she expecting Rainbow to be so eager. Rainbow quickly pulled back. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what I was th-“ She was cut off mid-sentence by Lyra’s lips pushing against hers. Rainbow closed her eyes and pushed back, enjoying Lyra’s taste. She thrust her tongue inside Lyra’s mouth and began to move it around before she felt Lyra push back with her own tongue with surprising force. Lyra broke off the kiss. “I don’t normally do this thing on the first date, but if you want we could go back to my place?” She winked at Rainbow. Rainbow didn’t know what to say, but she felt she was going to burst at the seams, both with excitement and nervousness. “That’d be great.” Lyra smiled suggestively and turned to walk out of the club. Rainbow and Lyra kissed all the way back to Lyra’s house. They hurried to get the door open and practically ran upstairs and fell into each other’s arms on Lyra’s bed. Lyra just wanted to lay there forever; her lips intertwined with Rainbow Dash’s, their tongues exploring each other’s mouths, playfully stroking each other. Rainbow took the next step and rolled over so that she was sat on top of Lyra. Lyra smiled and Rainbow smiled back, before she started grinding. Lyra instantly felt intense pleasure emitting from her lower region. It had been over a month since anypony had touched her in this way, and it was only now that she realised how much she had missed it. Rainbow Dash continued grinding away, eliciting a cry of pleasure. Lyra hadn’t felt this good in a long time. She wrapped her fore legs around Rainbow, leaned up and started kissing her again. Their tongues were soon tied up within each other again, while Lyra started to pull on Rainbow Dash, making her grind faster. It was all too much for Lyra. As Rainbow continued to grind she let out an incredible cry of bliss and slumped back down to the bed, as Rainbow also called out. She fell onto the bed next to her, panting, out of breath. “Lyra… I… I love you.” Rainbow had said what Lyra had wanted to hear the most. “Oh, Rainbow, I love you too!” The two started kissing again, and just after midnight they fell asleep, holding each other. Chapter 3: The Morning AfterLyra awoke to the sound of birds singing and the sight of the sun trying to peak its way inside her house. Lyra quickly turned to her side, worrying that it had all been a dream. Rainbow Dash lay there, softly snoring, her rainbow-coloured mane all ruffled. Lyra suddenly felt an immense burst of happiness as she remembered the previous night’s events. Lyra and Rainbow had gone out drinking. Rainbow Dash, who had drank a lot, kissed her. Then they came back here, and they… Lyra blushed. She was never normally this easy to get. She used to like toying around with her mates first, teasing them before finally letting them claim their prize. But with Rainbow it was different. Lyra had wanted it to happen with Rainbow so badly that she didn’t care about playing around with her. She had to have her that night. And when Rainbow said those magic words… “I love you.” Lyra felt the happiest she had since Bon Bon had passed away. Maybe Lyra would get her “Happily ever after” after all. She decided to go downstairs and cook some breakfast. She put two eggs in a pan and used her magic to light the stove. While the eggs fried she went to the window and opened the curtains. It was a bright, beautiful day outside. The birds were singing, the sun was smiling high in the sky. The weather itself seemed to reflect Lyra’s inner feelings. Lyra allowed a giant smile to spread across her face. “Well, somepony seems really happy this morning.” Lyra turned to see a half-asleep Rainbow Dash stood at the bottom of her stairs, smiling at her. “Good morning Rainbow! Did you sleep well?” Rainbow Dash plodded over and sat down at the table, before holding her hooves to her head. “I slept brilliantly… The trouble is that I wish it could have stayed that way. I think I had a little too much to drink last night, my head feels like somepony has hit me with a club!” Lyra giggled. “Well, I have the perfect solution for that!” She walked over to her stove, summoned two plates and a spatula with her magic and placed the eggs on the plates, before taking them over to the table. “Ooh, good, I’m starving!” Rainbow stuck her head straight down on the plate and wolfed down her egg before realising where she was. She looked up, her cheeks a glorious crimson colour, yolk still dripping down her chin. “Oh, Lyra, I’m really sorry, I completely forgot my manners!” Lyra stood up and walked over to Rainbow. “Ha, it’s quite alright dear.” She wiped the yolk off of her chin before engaging her in another passionate kiss. Somehow, she tasted even better while she was sober. Rainbow Dash smiled at Lyra as she broke the kiss. “Well, your egg was really good, but nothing can beat that!” Rainbow jumped off her seat and restarted the kiss. Lyra loved every moment of it; she had a found a pony that could truly make her happy again. Rainbow was also happier than ever before. She had never really felt an attraction to stallions. When other girls in her class started chasing them around, she never wanted to join in. But Lyra ignited a burning passion, deep inside her heart. Lyra stepped back. “Well, Rainbow, I really need to wash these dishes… And I think you need to go and brush your mane.” She giggled, grabbed the two plates and walked over to the sink, Rainbow hypnotised with her posterior the whole time. “Rainbow Dash, don’t think I can’t see you eyeballing my behind.” She turned to look at Rainbow, whose face shot a darker red than that of the stripe in her mane. This made Lyra laugh out loud. “I mean, really, I don’t mind it.” Lyra gave her flank a little wiggle for her partner. “But your mane genuinely needs a good brush.” Begrudgingly, Rainbow turned around and walked upstairs to grab a brush. Lyra finished washing the plates and sent them flying back to the cupboard. Now that she had some time alone, she started thinking again. While Lyra was very happy with where she thought the relationship was going, she had absolutely no clue what Rainbow Dash’s plans were. What if this was just a fling that she didn’t want to continue? What if sheer passion running through her veins made her tell Lyra that she loved her? What if… All at once, a thousand dark thoughts swarmed into Lyra’s mind, filling her with fear. Lyra needed to speak to Rainbow, and understand where she stood on the relationship. As if on cue, a now straight-maned Rainbow Dash came down the stairs. “There, is this any better?” Lyra chuckled. “Yes, much better. Come and take a seat Rainbow my dear.” Rainbow Dash walked over to the table and sat down. What did Lyra want to speak about? Did she consider their night as just a fling? Rainbow suddenly thought about what she said. She told Lyra that she loved her. What if she scared her off? She silently cursed at herself. “Rainbow, I want to know now, before anything else… Where do you stand on our relationship?” Rainbow Dash took no time hesitating about her answer. “Lyra, I think I genuinely love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you’ll have me. Last night made me realise just how special you are to me. Lyra, I think I’d die without you.” Lyra’s heart exploded in relief and happiness. She jumped across the table and embraced Rainbow Dash with a powerful, passionate kiss. “Oh, Rainbow, you don’t know how happy it makes me to hear you say that!” Lyra lunged forward to carry on kissing Rainbow, knocking both of them to the floor. The two laid there for what seemed like an eternity, kissing and holding each other. Lyra felt like her life was complete. She’d found another pony who truly loved her. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash disengaged the kiss and stood up. “I’m really sorry Lyra, honey, but I have work today. The weather patrol needs their number one pegasus on the job, after all!” She was back to being her cocky old self, the Rainbow that Lyra loved. “I promise I’ll be back later, okay?” Lyra slowly got to her feet. “Okay then, see you later darling.” Lyra shot her a wink and leaned in to kiss her goodbye. Rainbow Dash flew off into the distance, leaving Lyra standing at her door. She shut the door and proceeded to go back upstairs. She suddenly felt exhausted, so she may as well grab a few extra hours of sleep. Chapter 4: Night TerrorsIt had been two months since that night. Lyra and Rainbow Dash were still very much in love. After two weeks of dating, they decided to break the news to their friends. They were worried at first, as Lyra and the six Elements of Harmony all gathered inside Twilight’s library. They were scared that their friends wouldn’t accept them, they would hate them and would run them out of Ponyville. These fears were soon shown to be absurd, as when they broke the news excited, happy squeals were heard from all of the ponies. Pinkie Pie shouted something about having to throw a party while Fluttershy, Twilight and Rarity all moved in to congratulate the two lovers. The only one who seemed to act odd was Applejack, who muttered out congratulations and then left, saying something along the lines of “Needing to harvest apples.” She acted strangely at Pinkie’s party as well. Pinkie Pie had thrown quite a small party, just for the seven of them, but had spared no expense in making sure it was brilliant. However, Applejack wasn’t very talkative; she just sat in the corner near the punch bowl, taking long swigs out of a cup that was being filled with punch every 5 minutes. When Rainbow Dash went to ask what was wrong, she just put on a weak smile and said “I’m fine sugarcube. Just a hard day on the farm, is all.” It had been a peaceful few weeks. Rainbow had been kept quite busy with work, but would always drop in to see Lyra; there had even been talk of them moving in together. But the two ponies wanted to take it slow. Something that is perfect shouldn’t be rushed. And so Lyra was content to just see Rainbow on a daily basis. Lyra had taken on extra shifts at the Café so that she was also being kept busy. Lyra sniffed the air and caught a delicious smell. She followed it back to her kitchen, where she was cooking her and Rainbow’s romantic meal. She took the lid off of the pot and gave it another stir. Rainbow would be here any minute and the food was nearly ready. The table had been laid and Lyra had put on her best dress. As if Rainbow had been reading her mind, there was a banging sound on the door. “Ah, she’s here!” Lyra summoned over her brush and gave her mane one last groom before opening the door. “Lyra! How are you today?” Rainbow stepped inside and immediately went for her lovers lips. She was also dressed up – Wearing the same dress she had worn the night they went to the club. After a short, sweet kiss, the two went to the kitchen. “Mmm, smells good!” She sat down at the table as Lyra turned off the stove. “Rainbow, you’d eat tree bark if it smelt nice.” Rainbow Dash laughed. “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with appreciating good food! Especially if it’s as good as yours!” Lyra served the meal on to the bowls in front of them before sitting down. Using her magic she lit the candles in the middle of the table. Lyra would have attempted to converse but knew it just fall on deaf ears. Or more precisely, on ears that were filled with the noises of Rainbow’s own pig-like eating. Lyra looked across the table at the pegasus with her head in her bowl and smiled to herself. She loved this pony. These last two months had been the best in her life. Rainbow Dash was just perfect for her. They laughed together, they cried together, they cared for each other, and Lyra wouldn’t trade it for anything in Equestria. The two had soon finished their meal and Lyra washed all of the dishes. Rainbow came up behind Lyra and wrapped her forelegs around her waist. “Rainbow, honey, I’m trying to clean up.” “I know, but could ya hurry it up a little? I’m getting bored!” A brilliant grin gleamed across Rainbow’s face. No sooner had Lyra finished washing up than Rainbow was atop her, deeply kissing her. The unicorn stood up and led her cyan lover up the stairs. They fell onto the bed in each other’s arms, their tongues inseparable. Rainbow rolled over and stared deep into her lover’s eyes. “I love you, Lyra.” Rainbow whispered into her lover’s ear. “I love you too, Rainbow.” And with that, they gently fell to sleep, holding each other. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Lyra was stood in the middle of a crowd on ponies she didn’t recognise. She immediately started to panic. Where was Rainbow? In fact, where was anypony? She was scared right now. She felt herself being swept along with the group. No matter where she turned, she saw no familiar faces. She felt herself growing more and more fearful. All of a sudden, the crowd began to diverge. Lyra’s fluttering heart began to slow down. Maybe she could get out of the crowd where they were branching off. She started to push back and force herself through the crowd, until she reached the hollow point of the congregation when, all of a sudden, she saw something that made her heart freeze. At the centre of this area stood a pony that she knew very well, the blue mane with a pink streak making it glaringly obvious. The beige coloured pony turned around to face Lyra and shot her a malicious smirk. “Well, well, well. Hello Lyra. Long time no see, right?” The pony turned and slowly walked over to her. “Lyra, don’t say you’ve forgotten me already!” The pony inched ever closer, but Lyra was stuck to the spot. “You always were so forgetful… Well, I’ve already thought of a brilliant way to jog your memory. The pony stared at the ground for over a minute. Lyra finally summed up the courage to speak. “Bon Bon… What are you-“ She didn’t finish her sentence before the pony’s head shot up. Her eyes had been replaced with black holes and her teeth had all become long, sharp fangs. With a beastly roar she leapt upon Lyra and the last thing she saw was the pony’s mouth shoot towards her neck. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Lyra shot awake, screaming. Tears were cascading down her face. She couldn’t get Bon Bon’s monstrous face out of her head. Her body was heaving strongly with her erratic sobs. The noise and movement had been enough to wake Rainbow Dash. “Lyra? Lyra, baby, what’s wrong?” Rainbow threw her hooves around the tearful unicorn. “Lyra, speak to me, what happened? What did you see?” All the while, the only thing Lyra had imprinted in her mind were Bon Bon’s eyes right before she attacked her.
Chapter 1: Drowning Her SorrowsLyra swallowed down another glass of alcohol. She would take anything to numb the pain. It had been a month since Bon Bon had died. Derpy, not watching where she had been going, bumped right into her, knocking her onto the railroad tracks. Unfortunately, this was just as the Friendship Express was rolling in to the station. Of course, nopony truly blamed Derpy. Everypony knew what she was like. But Lyra wanted somepony to blame, needed somepony to blame. Since Bon Bon died, nothing filled the gaping void inside her except alcohol. Lyra poured herself another drink. “Excuse me, ma’am?” The pony behind the bar said. “You’ve been drinking for nearly four hours, don’t ya think it’s time to call it quits?” Lyra simply looked up and stared at him. She was contemplating saying something, when she felt herself being hauled to her hooves. “Come on now, missy. I think you’ve had a little too much.” Lyra turned around and found herself face to face with a smiling cyan pegasus. She flicked her rainbow-coloured mane. “We’d better get you home.” Lyra found herself nodding in agreement. She’d never really spoken to Rainbow Dash much. After all, they didn’t have anything in common (that Lyra knew of) but Lyra still felt comfortable around her. Or maybe that was just the alcohol talking. Celestia knows there was enough of it in her system. Rainbow led her out of the bar and into Ponyville’s quiet night-time streets. Lyra rested most of her body against Rainbow’s; she was so drunk she couldn’t have possibly made it home without her. Rainbow Dash’s body felt warm against her. Just like Bon Bon’s used to feel… She quickly left that train of thought. She was stood outside of her house. “Well, here we are, right?” They walked up to the front door. “You have the key, right Lyra?” Lyra nodded and her horn glowed. The key floated up to the door and clicked inside the lock. Rainbow Dash carefully helped Lyra climb the stairs and took her to the bed. Lyra simply fell onto it face down. When Rainbow tried to move her, Lyra simply brushed her hooves off. She seemed comfortable enough. As Rainbow Dash turned to leave, Lyra, fuelled by loneliness (or perhaps alcohol), turned and said “Hey Rainbow, do you want to… Maybe… Hang out sometime?” Rainbow was unsure of what to say. She didn’t know Lyra very well; they’d never really spoken much. But she knew that Lyra must be hurting after Bon Bon’s death. She couldn’t just turn her down, she felt sorry for her. “Sure Lyra. How about Saturday? I don’t have to work Saturday.” Lyra simply grunted in approval, before laying her head on the pillow and falling into a deep sleep. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Saturday soon rolled around and Lyra was walking around Ponyville with Rainbow Dash. Lyra hadn’t drunk anything since that night, which she was quite proud of. “So… What do you wanna do Lyra?” Rainbow said. “Oh… I don’t know. What do you normally do on a Saturday, Rainbow?” Lyra had been feeling awkward, but this was slowly starting to melt away as they talked. “Oh. Well, normally on a Saturday…” Rainbow Dash thought to herself. “Well, Lyra, on a Saturday I normally practice all of my top flying techniques for the Wonderbolts.” Lyra seemed to be impressed, which made Rainbow Dash feel pretty good, though she didn’t quite know why. “Wow, the Wonderbolts?” Lyra was genuinely interested now. “Of course! I am the best flier in Ponyville, after all.” There was something about Rainbow Dash’s large ego that Lyra just loved. She felt like she could sit there for hours on end listening to her adventures. Rainbow Dash was on the same train of thought, glad she had found somepony who was actually willing to listen to all of her talk about how great she was. The two went to the park, talking all the way. “Wow, so that was you who performed the Sonic Rainboom?” Rainbow felt a smile crawl across her mouth. “Yeah, that was me.” The sun had begun to set. “Oh, wow, it’s getting late Rainbow.” Rainbow Dash turned to look at the orange sky. “Yeah, I better go home.” Rainbow hovered off the ground. “Wait! I’ll… I’ll see you tomorrow… Right?” Lyra shouted to her. Rainbow looked back and smiled “Of course! This is Rainbow Dash you’re talking to!” And with that, she winked and then flew off, leaving Lyra feeling truly happy for the first time in a month. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Rainbow lay on her bed. She couldn’t get the aquamarine unicorn out of her head. She’d heard about how she and Bon Bon had been close, and Bon Bon’s unfortunate accident. But that was the past. Maybe Lyra needed somepony to cheer her up? Needed somepony to take the pain away? These thoughts made a change for Rainbow. She found her mind flooded with images of Applejack late at night. However much she longed for the orange earth pony, she knew that her friend would never replicate her feelings. Lyra seemed to like Rainbow though. She was finding these thoughts too difficult to comprehend. Perhaps she would go and speak with Twilight in the morning. Her friend always had an answer for everything and was always there for her. Rainbow Dash tossed and turned in her bed. She knew tonight’s sleep would not be any more peaceful than the last. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Twilight was awoken by three loud raps at the front door. “Hey, Twilight, you in there?” She recognised that voice. It belonged to none other than Rainbow Dash. Twilight frantically whipped her head around to look at the clock. It was 7:00 am. She was worried for a moment that she had overslept, since Rainbow Dash was NEVER up this early. Something must be wrong. Twilight thought to herself. Twilight slowly got out of bed and began shambling towards the stairs. She hadn’t had much sleep, she’d been up most of the night re-organising the library. There had just been a shipment of new books, so it was Twilight’s job to make sure they were all in the perfect place. Twilight’s slow pace drove Rainbow Dash to knock on the door again, this time twice as hard. “YO, TWILIGHT, WAKE UP!” Twilight grumbled under her breath and unlocked the front door. “Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here at such an early hour?” Rainbow came inside and sat down. “Twilight, I need your help.” Twilight thought something seemed off; Rainbow Dash was never this sincere. “Of course Rainbow, what is it?” “Well, it’s… About my cousin! Yeah! My cousin… Her head’s a bit messed up at the moment. We were talking and she said… She said she thinks she likes mares.” Rainbow Dash went eerily silent. “I see. And where do I fit in?” Twilight asked. “I was hoping you’d tell me your thoughts on mares wanting other mares.” Twilight picked up on it instantly, but to save Rainbow the embarrassment, she kept it quiet. “Well, I personally have nothing against mares who like other mares. After all, we can’t control who we love and we shouldn’t be judged on it. The only trouble is that these mares have to keep in mind that they can’t have children. And not all ponies are as open minded as I am. I hope your cousin knows this Rainbow. But other than that I wish her every success, and hope that she is happy when she gets this other mare.” Rainbow Dash was shocked. Having been brought up in Canterlot, she felt sure that Twilight would have a very strong, negative opinion on Mare-Mare relationships. Did Twilight suspect something? No, Rainbow Dash felt sure she didn’t. Twilight never was the best at gauging the social stuff. Regardless, she thanked Twilight for the advice and went to leave. “Rainbow? Before you go, can I ask you something?” Rainbow stopped dead in her tracks. Maybe she had picked up on something. She turned around nervously. “Sure, what is it Twilight?” “Promise me you’ll… Remind your cousin to be careful? Love isn’t a game. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have books to sort.” “Alrighty, thanks Twilight.” Rainbow turned around and ran out of the door. Rainbow decided it was now or never. She realised that Applejack would probably never reciprocate her feelings, but Lyra did. The way Lyra looked at Rainbow, the way she leaned so closely to her on the night they met, the way she was happy to just sit there and listen to Rainbow’s stories. Lyra was perfect for her. Rainbow Dash raced over to Lyra’s house as fast as she could, her heart pounding violently against her ribs. It was now or never. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Lyra awoke to a loud banging at her door. Her clock read 7:05. Who could possibly be so desperate to see her at this time? Lyra got out of bed and walked down the stairs. The hammering at her door got louder and more intense. “Alright, alright, keep your horseshoes on!” Lyra sleepily slid back the lock on her door, to reveal a breathless cyan pegasus stood before her. “Rainbow Dash? What the hay are you doing here at this hour?” Rainbow took a deep breath. Her lungs were killing her. The last time she flew that fast was when Rarity and the Wonderbolts were hurtling at breakneck speed towards the ground. “Lyra, I’ve been thinking. I know this may seem soon, but I think you’re a really great unicorn and I was wondering if you’d maybe want to go on a date or something sometime.” Lyra simply stood there. It took her a few seconds for her brain to process what had just happened. She liked Rainbow Dash a lot. But she’d only known her a few days, not to mention that it’d only been a month since Bon Bon… But Lyra stopped there. She thought about Bon Bon. Surely Bon Bon would want her to be happy, wouldn’t she? Going on a date with Rainbow Dash would make her happy again. Rainbow Dash was the first pony who had been able to make her feel genuinely happy since Bon Bon had died. Lyra decided. “… I’d love to go on a date with you Rainbow Dash.” They both blushed. “Really? That’s great! Erm… Is Thursday okay with you? 8 o’clock?” Rainbow Dash could barely contain her happiness. “Yeah, Thursday is great! See you then?” Lyra smiled at her. “Yeah, see you then.” With that, Rainbow Dash slowly hovered off the ground and flew away, Lyra watching her the whole time.
Chapter 2: A Night to RememberThursday soon came and Lyra was getting ready for her date. She wanted to make herself look as good as she could for Rainbow Dash. She wore a simple white dress with a gold trim and her hair was done up in a spiked hair bun. She had spent 2 hours getting ready; Rainbow Dash would be there any minute. As if on cue, Lyra heard knocking at her door. “I’m coming!” She said as she practically ran down the stairs. However, she regained her dignified walking pace as she approached the door. Rainbow Dash was stood outside. “Wow, Lyra, you look amazing!” Rainbow wore a dress not much unlike the one she wore for the Grand Galloping Gala. However, this one was a little plainer. “As do you, Rainbow.” Lyra walked outside and shut the door behind her. “So, where will you be taking me tonight, Miss Dash?” Lyra giggled while Rainbow Dash blushed. She hadn’t really planned out where they would go. “Uh, I don’t know, maybe go to the Café for something to eat? Or maybe we could go to Berry Punch’s and get something to drink?” Lyra got the impression that Rainbow hadn’t planned out their evening very well. “Berry Punch’s sounds like a good idea. Let’s go.” The walk to Berry Punch’s club was uncomfortably silent. Rainbow Dash was nothing like her usual brash, headstrong self. After all, it was Rainbow’s first date with anypony, never mind with a mare. “So, Lyra, where do you work?” Rainbow tried to bring some life in to the night. “Oh, I work at the Café. It’s an easy enough job and it brings in the bits. You’re part of the weather patrol, right?” Rainbow’s usual need to boast had seemed to vanish tonight. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool. It’s mostly just pushing clouds back and forth though.” Lyra noticed the absence of Rainbow’s boasting and it made her giggle. “What’s so funny?” Rainbow quizzed. “You’re pretty cute when you’re this shy, you know?” This immediately put Rainbow on the defensive. “What do you mean shy? Me, the great Rainbow Dash, shy? Ha ha ha! I’m never shy! I wasn’t shy when I was showing the Wonderbolts all my awesome moves and I’m certainly not shy now!” This made Lyra laugh even more. “Calm down, Rainbow. I’m just teasing you!” Rainbow felt her face begin to burn with a furious red colour. “Oh, yeah, of course I knew that. Ha ha ha, jokes on you Lyra!” Lyra just laughed again. “Look, here we are.” Rainbow held open the door for Lyra. As soon as she stepped inside she felt the bass pumping through her body, like it was in her blood. She used to love to go out and party. The two walked over to the bar and Rainbow Dash waved over the bartender. She had to shout to make herself heard over the sheer volume of the music. “I’LL HAVE A DOUBLE VODKA ON THE ROCKS! WHAT ABOUT YOU LYRA?” “OH, I’LL JUST HAVE A GIN AND TONIC PLEASE.” “OKAY, A GIN AND TONIC AS WELL.” While the bartender fixed their drinks, Rainbow moved in close to talk to Lyra. “Strange, I would’ve figured you quite a strong drinker, considering how much you had drunk on the night we met!” Lyra blushed. “Well, normally I am, but… I hear that the vodka in this place is imported directly from Stalliongrad!” Rainbow Dash grinned and winked. She felt her confidence coming back. “Just the way I like it!” The bartender returned with their drinks and Rainbow paid him. They went and found a quiet corner to sit down in, although even in the quietest corner the music was still loud enough to deafen you. The two sat down and just sipped at their drink, searching for a way to break the awkward silence. “So…” Lyra feebly attempted to kindle a conversation. It didn’t work. “So… How ya doin’ Lyra?” “I’m okay, thank you. How about you?” Rainbow Dash sipped again at her drink. “I’m good.” The silence crawled its way back into their presence. “Rainbow Dash, would you like to dance?” Lyra took a bold move to try and spice up the night. Rainbow Dash giggled. “I doubt I’m drunk enough to dance, but okay!” Lyra grabbed Rainbow’s hoof and pulled her up, leading her to the dance floor. Lyra was going to make tonight a night to remember. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Lyra was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. Her vision had started to blur and her hooves were unsteady. She was dancing with Rainbow Dash, who appeared to be severely drunk, even more so than she was. Suddenly Rainbow Dash stopped dancing and gazed into Lyra’s eyes for a second. Then, she quickly leaned her and kissed her. Lyra was shocked; she hadn’t expected it to happen so soon, nor was she expecting Rainbow to be so eager. Rainbow quickly pulled back. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what I was th-“ She was cut off mid-sentence by Lyra’s lips pushing against hers. Rainbow closed her eyes and pushed back, enjoying Lyra’s taste. She thrust her tongue inside Lyra’s mouth and began to move it around before she felt Lyra push back with her own tongue with surprising force. Lyra broke off the kiss. “I don’t normally do this thing on the first date, but if you want we could go back to my place?” She winked at Rainbow. Rainbow didn’t know what to say, but she felt she was going to burst at the seams, both with excitement and nervousness. “That’d be great.” Lyra smiled suggestively and turned to walk out of the club. Rainbow and Lyra kissed all the way back to Lyra’s house. They hurried to get the door open and practically ran upstairs and fell into each other’s arms on Lyra’s bed. Lyra just wanted to lay there forever; her lips intertwined with Rainbow Dash’s, their tongues exploring each other’s mouths, playfully stroking each other. Rainbow took the next step and rolled over so that she was sat on top of Lyra. Lyra smiled and Rainbow smiled back, before she started grinding. Lyra instantly felt intense pleasure emitting from her lower region. It had been over a month since anypony had touched her in this way, and it was only now that she realised how much she had missed it. Rainbow Dash continued grinding away, eliciting a cry of pleasure. Lyra hadn’t felt this good in a long time. She wrapped her fore legs around Rainbow, leaned up and started kissing her again. Their tongues were soon tied up within each other again, while Lyra started to pull on Rainbow Dash, making her grind faster. It was all too much for Lyra. As Rainbow continued to grind she let out an incredible cry of bliss and slumped back down to the bed, as Rainbow also called out. She fell onto the bed next to her, panting, out of breath. “Lyra… I… I love you.” Rainbow had said what Lyra had wanted to hear the most. “Oh, Rainbow, I love you too!” The two started kissing again, and just after midnight they fell asleep, holding each other.
Chapter 3: The Morning AfterLyra awoke to the sound of birds singing and the sight of the sun trying to peak its way inside her house. Lyra quickly turned to her side, worrying that it had all been a dream. Rainbow Dash lay there, softly snoring, her rainbow-coloured mane all ruffled. Lyra suddenly felt an immense burst of happiness as she remembered the previous night’s events. Lyra and Rainbow had gone out drinking. Rainbow Dash, who had drank a lot, kissed her. Then they came back here, and they… Lyra blushed. She was never normally this easy to get. She used to like toying around with her mates first, teasing them before finally letting them claim their prize. But with Rainbow it was different. Lyra had wanted it to happen with Rainbow so badly that she didn’t care about playing around with her. She had to have her that night. And when Rainbow said those magic words… “I love you.” Lyra felt the happiest she had since Bon Bon had passed away. Maybe Lyra would get her “Happily ever after” after all. She decided to go downstairs and cook some breakfast. She put two eggs in a pan and used her magic to light the stove. While the eggs fried she went to the window and opened the curtains. It was a bright, beautiful day outside. The birds were singing, the sun was smiling high in the sky. The weather itself seemed to reflect Lyra’s inner feelings. Lyra allowed a giant smile to spread across her face. “Well, somepony seems really happy this morning.” Lyra turned to see a half-asleep Rainbow Dash stood at the bottom of her stairs, smiling at her. “Good morning Rainbow! Did you sleep well?” Rainbow Dash plodded over and sat down at the table, before holding her hooves to her head. “I slept brilliantly… The trouble is that I wish it could have stayed that way. I think I had a little too much to drink last night, my head feels like somepony has hit me with a club!” Lyra giggled. “Well, I have the perfect solution for that!” She walked over to her stove, summoned two plates and a spatula with her magic and placed the eggs on the plates, before taking them over to the table. “Ooh, good, I’m starving!” Rainbow stuck her head straight down on the plate and wolfed down her egg before realising where she was. She looked up, her cheeks a glorious crimson colour, yolk still dripping down her chin. “Oh, Lyra, I’m really sorry, I completely forgot my manners!” Lyra stood up and walked over to Rainbow. “Ha, it’s quite alright dear.” She wiped the yolk off of her chin before engaging her in another passionate kiss. Somehow, she tasted even better while she was sober. Rainbow Dash smiled at Lyra as she broke the kiss. “Well, your egg was really good, but nothing can beat that!” Rainbow jumped off her seat and restarted the kiss. Lyra loved every moment of it; she had a found a pony that could truly make her happy again. Rainbow was also happier than ever before. She had never really felt an attraction to stallions. When other girls in her class started chasing them around, she never wanted to join in. But Lyra ignited a burning passion, deep inside her heart. Lyra stepped back. “Well, Rainbow, I really need to wash these dishes… And I think you need to go and brush your mane.” She giggled, grabbed the two plates and walked over to the sink, Rainbow hypnotised with her posterior the whole time. “Rainbow Dash, don’t think I can’t see you eyeballing my behind.” She turned to look at Rainbow, whose face shot a darker red than that of the stripe in her mane. This made Lyra laugh out loud. “I mean, really, I don’t mind it.” Lyra gave her flank a little wiggle for her partner. “But your mane genuinely needs a good brush.” Begrudgingly, Rainbow turned around and walked upstairs to grab a brush. Lyra finished washing the plates and sent them flying back to the cupboard. Now that she had some time alone, she started thinking again. While Lyra was very happy with where she thought the relationship was going, she had absolutely no clue what Rainbow Dash’s plans were. What if this was just a fling that she didn’t want to continue? What if sheer passion running through her veins made her tell Lyra that she loved her? What if… All at once, a thousand dark thoughts swarmed into Lyra’s mind, filling her with fear. Lyra needed to speak to Rainbow, and understand where she stood on the relationship. As if on cue, a now straight-maned Rainbow Dash came down the stairs. “There, is this any better?” Lyra chuckled. “Yes, much better. Come and take a seat Rainbow my dear.” Rainbow Dash walked over to the table and sat down. What did Lyra want to speak about? Did she consider their night as just a fling? Rainbow suddenly thought about what she said. She told Lyra that she loved her. What if she scared her off? She silently cursed at herself. “Rainbow, I want to know now, before anything else… Where do you stand on our relationship?” Rainbow Dash took no time hesitating about her answer. “Lyra, I think I genuinely love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you’ll have me. Last night made me realise just how special you are to me. Lyra, I think I’d die without you.” Lyra’s heart exploded in relief and happiness. She jumped across the table and embraced Rainbow Dash with a powerful, passionate kiss. “Oh, Rainbow, you don’t know how happy it makes me to hear you say that!” Lyra lunged forward to carry on kissing Rainbow, knocking both of them to the floor. The two laid there for what seemed like an eternity, kissing and holding each other. Lyra felt like her life was complete. She’d found another pony who truly loved her. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash disengaged the kiss and stood up. “I’m really sorry Lyra, honey, but I have work today. The weather patrol needs their number one pegasus on the job, after all!” She was back to being her cocky old self, the Rainbow that Lyra loved. “I promise I’ll be back later, okay?” Lyra slowly got to her feet. “Okay then, see you later darling.” Lyra shot her a wink and leaned in to kiss her goodbye. Rainbow Dash flew off into the distance, leaving Lyra standing at her door. She shut the door and proceeded to go back upstairs. She suddenly felt exhausted, so she may as well grab a few extra hours of sleep.
Chapter 4: Night TerrorsIt had been two months since that night. Lyra and Rainbow Dash were still very much in love. After two weeks of dating, they decided to break the news to their friends. They were worried at first, as Lyra and the six Elements of Harmony all gathered inside Twilight’s library. They were scared that their friends wouldn’t accept them, they would hate them and would run them out of Ponyville. These fears were soon shown to be absurd, as when they broke the news excited, happy squeals were heard from all of the ponies. Pinkie Pie shouted something about having to throw a party while Fluttershy, Twilight and Rarity all moved in to congratulate the two lovers. The only one who seemed to act odd was Applejack, who muttered out congratulations and then left, saying something along the lines of “Needing to harvest apples.” She acted strangely at Pinkie’s party as well. Pinkie Pie had thrown quite a small party, just for the seven of them, but had spared no expense in making sure it was brilliant. However, Applejack wasn’t very talkative; she just sat in the corner near the punch bowl, taking long swigs out of a cup that was being filled with punch every 5 minutes. When Rainbow Dash went to ask what was wrong, she just put on a weak smile and said “I’m fine sugarcube. Just a hard day on the farm, is all.” It had been a peaceful few weeks. Rainbow had been kept quite busy with work, but would always drop in to see Lyra; there had even been talk of them moving in together. But the two ponies wanted to take it slow. Something that is perfect shouldn’t be rushed. And so Lyra was content to just see Rainbow on a daily basis. Lyra had taken on extra shifts at the Café so that she was also being kept busy. Lyra sniffed the air and caught a delicious smell. She followed it back to her kitchen, where she was cooking her and Rainbow’s romantic meal. She took the lid off of the pot and gave it another stir. Rainbow would be here any minute and the food was nearly ready. The table had been laid and Lyra had put on her best dress. As if Rainbow had been reading her mind, there was a banging sound on the door. “Ah, she’s here!” Lyra summoned over her brush and gave her mane one last groom before opening the door. “Lyra! How are you today?” Rainbow stepped inside and immediately went for her lovers lips. She was also dressed up – Wearing the same dress she had worn the night they went to the club. After a short, sweet kiss, the two went to the kitchen. “Mmm, smells good!” She sat down at the table as Lyra turned off the stove. “Rainbow, you’d eat tree bark if it smelt nice.” Rainbow Dash laughed. “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with appreciating good food! Especially if it’s as good as yours!” Lyra served the meal on to the bowls in front of them before sitting down. Using her magic she lit the candles in the middle of the table. Lyra would have attempted to converse but knew it just fall on deaf ears. Or more precisely, on ears that were filled with the noises of Rainbow’s own pig-like eating. Lyra looked across the table at the pegasus with her head in her bowl and smiled to herself. She loved this pony. These last two months had been the best in her life. Rainbow Dash was just perfect for her. They laughed together, they cried together, they cared for each other, and Lyra wouldn’t trade it for anything in Equestria. The two had soon finished their meal and Lyra washed all of the dishes. Rainbow came up behind Lyra and wrapped her forelegs around her waist. “Rainbow, honey, I’m trying to clean up.” “I know, but could ya hurry it up a little? I’m getting bored!” A brilliant grin gleamed across Rainbow’s face. No sooner had Lyra finished washing up than Rainbow was atop her, deeply kissing her. The unicorn stood up and led her cyan lover up the stairs. They fell onto the bed in each other’s arms, their tongues inseparable. Rainbow rolled over and stared deep into her lover’s eyes. “I love you, Lyra.” Rainbow whispered into her lover’s ear. “I love you too, Rainbow.” And with that, they gently fell to sleep, holding each other. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Lyra was stood in the middle of a crowd on ponies she didn’t recognise. She immediately started to panic. Where was Rainbow? In fact, where was anypony? She was scared right now. She felt herself being swept along with the group. No matter where she turned, she saw no familiar faces. She felt herself growing more and more fearful. All of a sudden, the crowd began to diverge. Lyra’s fluttering heart began to slow down. Maybe she could get out of the crowd where they were branching off. She started to push back and force herself through the crowd, until she reached the hollow point of the congregation when, all of a sudden, she saw something that made her heart freeze. At the centre of this area stood a pony that she knew very well, the blue mane with a pink streak making it glaringly obvious. The beige coloured pony turned around to face Lyra and shot her a malicious smirk. “Well, well, well. Hello Lyra. Long time no see, right?” The pony turned and slowly walked over to her. “Lyra, don’t say you’ve forgotten me already!” The pony inched ever closer, but Lyra was stuck to the spot. “You always were so forgetful… Well, I’ve already thought of a brilliant way to jog your memory. The pony stared at the ground for over a minute. Lyra finally summed up the courage to speak. “Bon Bon… What are you-“ She didn’t finish her sentence before the pony’s head shot up. Her eyes had been replaced with black holes and her teeth had all become long, sharp fangs. With a beastly roar she leapt upon Lyra and the last thing she saw was the pony’s mouth shoot towards her neck. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Lyra shot awake, screaming. Tears were cascading down her face. She couldn’t get Bon Bon’s monstrous face out of her head. Her body was heaving strongly with her erratic sobs. The noise and movement had been enough to wake Rainbow Dash. “Lyra? Lyra, baby, what’s wrong?” Rainbow threw her hooves around the tearful unicorn. “Lyra, speak to me, what happened? What did you see?” All the while, the only thing Lyra had imprinted in her mind were Bon Bon’s eyes right before she attacked her.
