Harp Strings and Candy Wrappersby RichtusChaptersAge 12Age 16Age 18Age 7Age 9Age 14Age 19Age 5Age 12"Hey Lyra." "Hey Bon-Bon." "You're getting pretty good on that harp, aren't you?" "Yeah, it's ok I guess. Learning piano didn't work for me, but Mom still wanted me to learn an instrument, and this seemed the least boring." "Well it sounds pretty good to me." "Uh..thanks. I just wish I didn't have to stay in this study while practicing. It's so boring in here." "Why don't you play outside then?" "Mom says I get too distracted." "Is that so?" "What's so funny, Bon-Bon?" "Nothing!" "Hmmph." "Is it hard to play with your hooves?" "Yeah. I've tried playing with my magic, but it feels weird, and it's boring if I just stand there with it in my hooves while playing with magic." "Still sounds good to me." "Thanks. So when is your next dance thing?" "Oh, it's next week, in Manehattan." "Oh, in the big theater?" "Yeah, the one where we met, remember?" "Oh yeah. So is it going to be a big show? "Yeah, mama's looking forward to it." "What about you?" "Umm...I dunno. Hey, I have to go. I have to practice some more." "Oh...alright. Seeya." Age 16"Hey Bon-Bon!" "Oh! Hi Lyra. What are you doing back here?" "There were too many ponies at the front of the theater, so I came to the back door to wait for you." "Oh, what for?" "I wanted to tell you what a great show you put on! Everypony was cheering for you!" "But... Mama wasn't though. I could see her in the audience. I think she's disappointed in me." "Why is that?" "I still don't have my cutie mark yet." "Don't be so hard on yourself, Bon. It'll come." "But what if it doesn't?" "It won't matter. If anypony thinks less of you for it, then buck them!" "Lyra! Shhhh!" "Oh come on! Nopony's gonna hear! Hey, I'll buy you some ice cream! Let's go!" "Lyra, don't pull me like that, you'll make me..." "Come on!" "No, don't! You're gonna make me...!" "Whoa!" "Ahh! "Ahhh!" ".....Oowww...." "Oh no, I'm so sorry, Bon-Bon, I didn't mean to fall on you like...." "Uhnn... It's alright... L-Lyra? Why are you staring at me?" "You have really pretty eyes." Age 18"Come on, Lyra!" "Bonnie, where are we going? We're gonna miss the rest of the party!" "I'm getting you your birthday present!" "You couldn't give it to me along with all the others?" "It's hidden away, now come on! The party will still be there!" "Hidden in my own house?" "I'm just that good." "Ok, fine. Where is it anyway?" "It's in your room. Now hurry up!" "Ok, ok, I'm going." "Close the door." "Umm...alright." "N-now....close your eyes." "Was it necessary to turn off the lights if my eyes are going to be closed? "Lyra..." "Is this going to take long?" "Do you want your present or not?" "Sorry. Ok, they're closed now." "Ok....here it comes...." "Bon-Bon, what are you......oh." Age 7"Hi." "Oh, hi." "Mom said I could play with you. She's talking to your mom. "Oh cool!" "I like your room. It's pretty." "Thanks. Mom likes pink and blue, like my mane." "You have lots of dolls and toys too!" "I like dolls." "I like your dancing, too." "Oh, you saw?" "Yeah, it's fun to watch." “Thanks. Mama makes me practice an hour every day.” “Wow! You must like it a lot to dance that much!” “Umm... yeah... a lot.” " You practice even when you don't have a show?" "Yeah." "Wow...You looked really pretty in that dress." "Oh...thanks. I..." "Is is really hard to jump and spin on your hind legs like that?" "Yeah, it took lots of practice to do, though I still trip sometimes." "Seems kinda easy to me. Bet I could walk on my back legs easy." "It's not that easy." "You make dancing look easy." "I don't really like..." "I wanted to dance, but mom wants me to play piano." "Oh, pianos are fun to listen to." "I dunno, it's hard to play with my hooves, and I can't do magic really good yet." "You'll get it." "Yeah." "Want to play dolls?" “Yeah! Oh, mom’s calling. I gotta go. Bye!” “Oh... ok. Bye.” Age 9"Lyra?" "..." "Lyra?" "Go away!" "Why are you behind the school? Teacher will get mad if she doesn't see you out front." "I... N-nothing." "Were you crying?" "No! I just got something in my eye." "Really?" "Y-yeah." "Lyra, why were you crying?" "I'm not crying!" "Then why are you hiding back here?" "I... the... the other fillies were making fun of me." "Why were they doing that?" "They said my dolls were dumb and I was dumb for playing with them." "Well they're the dumb ones. I like your dolls. I have some Humany dolls at home, too." "Really?" "Yeah, I've got a Ms. Johnson the teacher and Sandy the Nurse. Who do you have?" "I've got Mr. Paul the grocer and Tara the executive!" "Hey, recess is almost over. Want to play after school?" "Yeah!" Age 14"Bon-Bon!" "Hey, Lyra. What's up?" "I just got back from my first recital!" "Oh, great! How did it go?" "It was awesome! When it was my turn on stage, I played a song with hoof and magic! It was like I was playing a duet by myself!" "Oh wow! I wish I could have seen it! But Mama wouldn't let me go. I had to stay home and practice." "It's alright." "So what did the other ponies think?" "They all loved it! I think I saw some of them crying!" "That's great!" "Everypony stood up and was cheering! It felt so....so awesome!" "I'm happy for you, Ly.....what was that?" "Huh? What was what?" "I thought I saw a flash and... Oh my gosh, look!" "What, what?" "Your flank!" "My what??" "Your flank! Look at your flank!" "Look at my... My cutie mark!" "You got it!" "I got it!" "Eeeeee!" "Eeeeee!" Age 19"Bonnie! I came as soon as I heard! Are you alright?" "I am now, thank you, Lyra." "Does it still hurt?" "A little bit, but not as much as before." "What exactly happened?" "I was in the middle of a dance recital, and during one of my spins, my hoof caught on a tiny gap in the floor, and I fell, breaking my leg." "Ugh, I'm sorry." "It's alright, Lyra. It's past now." "So how long are you going to stay cooped up here? I don't know about you, but I hate the smell of hospitals." "Just another day. The doctor said he would check to make sure nothing else is wrong before releasing me." "How long till you are back on the stage?" "Well, the cast is going to be on for about 6 weeks... but I don't think I will be dancing again." "What!? Why not?" "Apparently there is some history in my family of weakened bones. There is a small chance of being born with it. My grandmother had it, and now apparently I have it. We just didn't know because I had never broken anything before." "Oh my gosh, Bonnie, I'm so, so sorry!" "I may have a slight limp the rest of my life." "What will you do then?" "I don't know." "Well is there anything I can do?" "Will you stay with me a while?" "Of course, hon." Age 5"But mom, I don't want to go to the dumb dance show. It's for little fillies." "Now now, little Lyra, I promised my friend we'd come and see her daughter dance, and you are still too young to be home alone." "Don't call me little. I'm a big filly." "I know you are, dear." "Where is this thing anyway?" "It's at the theatre. See? Here we are now." "It looks old." "It is." "And boring." "Oh, don't be like that." "It's stuffy in here, and there's lots of old ponies." "Don't say that! Now, would you like a snack before the show starts?" "No! I wanna go home and play My Little Humany!" "Don't you yell at me, young mare! Just for that, as soon we get home you are going straight to bed with no supper. Now sit down and be quiet." "Fine." "Stop fidgeting." "I'm not." "And stop kicking the seat in front of you." "But this chair hurts! There's no cushion! I think it's broken." "I'll break your rump if you don't quiet down." "But Mom, I'm bored." "Well that's too bad." "Is that the stage?" "Yes it is." "There's nothing on it. It looks boring!" "Hush now, and sit still, the show is starting." "..." "..." "...Mom?" "What is it now?" "Who is that?" "That's my friend's daughter, Bon-Bon." "What is she doing?" "She's dancing." "She's pretty good."
Age 12"Hey Lyra." "Hey Bon-Bon." "You're getting pretty good on that harp, aren't you?" "Yeah, it's ok I guess. Learning piano didn't work for me, but Mom still wanted me to learn an instrument, and this seemed the least boring." "Well it sounds pretty good to me." "Uh..thanks. I just wish I didn't have to stay in this study while practicing. It's so boring in here." "Why don't you play outside then?" "Mom says I get too distracted." "Is that so?" "What's so funny, Bon-Bon?" "Nothing!" "Hmmph." "Is it hard to play with your hooves?" "Yeah. I've tried playing with my magic, but it feels weird, and it's boring if I just stand there with it in my hooves while playing with magic." "Still sounds good to me." "Thanks. So when is your next dance thing?" "Oh, it's next week, in Manehattan." "Oh, in the big theater?" "Yeah, the one where we met, remember?" "Oh yeah. So is it going to be a big show? "Yeah, mama's looking forward to it." "What about you?" "Umm...I dunno. Hey, I have to go. I have to practice some more." "Oh...alright. Seeya."
Age 16"Hey Bon-Bon!" "Oh! Hi Lyra. What are you doing back here?" "There were too many ponies at the front of the theater, so I came to the back door to wait for you." "Oh, what for?" "I wanted to tell you what a great show you put on! Everypony was cheering for you!" "But... Mama wasn't though. I could see her in the audience. I think she's disappointed in me." "Why is that?" "I still don't have my cutie mark yet." "Don't be so hard on yourself, Bon. It'll come." "But what if it doesn't?" "It won't matter. If anypony thinks less of you for it, then buck them!" "Lyra! Shhhh!" "Oh come on! Nopony's gonna hear! Hey, I'll buy you some ice cream! Let's go!" "Lyra, don't pull me like that, you'll make me..." "Come on!" "No, don't! You're gonna make me...!" "Whoa!" "Ahh! "Ahhh!" ".....Oowww...." "Oh no, I'm so sorry, Bon-Bon, I didn't mean to fall on you like...." "Uhnn... It's alright... L-Lyra? Why are you staring at me?" "You have really pretty eyes."
Age 18"Come on, Lyra!" "Bonnie, where are we going? We're gonna miss the rest of the party!" "I'm getting you your birthday present!" "You couldn't give it to me along with all the others?" "It's hidden away, now come on! The party will still be there!" "Hidden in my own house?" "I'm just that good." "Ok, fine. Where is it anyway?" "It's in your room. Now hurry up!" "Ok, ok, I'm going." "Close the door." "Umm...alright." "N-now....close your eyes." "Was it necessary to turn off the lights if my eyes are going to be closed? "Lyra..." "Is this going to take long?" "Do you want your present or not?" "Sorry. Ok, they're closed now." "Ok....here it comes...." "Bon-Bon, what are you......oh."
Age 7"Hi." "Oh, hi." "Mom said I could play with you. She's talking to your mom. "Oh cool!" "I like your room. It's pretty." "Thanks. Mom likes pink and blue, like my mane." "You have lots of dolls and toys too!" "I like dolls." "I like your dancing, too." "Oh, you saw?" "Yeah, it's fun to watch." “Thanks. Mama makes me practice an hour every day.” “Wow! You must like it a lot to dance that much!” “Umm... yeah... a lot.” " You practice even when you don't have a show?" "Yeah." "Wow...You looked really pretty in that dress." "Oh...thanks. I..." "Is is really hard to jump and spin on your hind legs like that?" "Yeah, it took lots of practice to do, though I still trip sometimes." "Seems kinda easy to me. Bet I could walk on my back legs easy." "It's not that easy." "You make dancing look easy." "I don't really like..." "I wanted to dance, but mom wants me to play piano." "Oh, pianos are fun to listen to." "I dunno, it's hard to play with my hooves, and I can't do magic really good yet." "You'll get it." "Yeah." "Want to play dolls?" “Yeah! Oh, mom’s calling. I gotta go. Bye!” “Oh... ok. Bye.”
Age 9"Lyra?" "..." "Lyra?" "Go away!" "Why are you behind the school? Teacher will get mad if she doesn't see you out front." "I... N-nothing." "Were you crying?" "No! I just got something in my eye." "Really?" "Y-yeah." "Lyra, why were you crying?" "I'm not crying!" "Then why are you hiding back here?" "I... the... the other fillies were making fun of me." "Why were they doing that?" "They said my dolls were dumb and I was dumb for playing with them." "Well they're the dumb ones. I like your dolls. I have some Humany dolls at home, too." "Really?" "Yeah, I've got a Ms. Johnson the teacher and Sandy the Nurse. Who do you have?" "I've got Mr. Paul the grocer and Tara the executive!" "Hey, recess is almost over. Want to play after school?" "Yeah!"
Age 14"Bon-Bon!" "Hey, Lyra. What's up?" "I just got back from my first recital!" "Oh, great! How did it go?" "It was awesome! When it was my turn on stage, I played a song with hoof and magic! It was like I was playing a duet by myself!" "Oh wow! I wish I could have seen it! But Mama wouldn't let me go. I had to stay home and practice." "It's alright." "So what did the other ponies think?" "They all loved it! I think I saw some of them crying!" "That's great!" "Everypony stood up and was cheering! It felt so....so awesome!" "I'm happy for you, Ly.....what was that?" "Huh? What was what?" "I thought I saw a flash and... Oh my gosh, look!" "What, what?" "Your flank!" "My what??" "Your flank! Look at your flank!" "Look at my... My cutie mark!" "You got it!" "I got it!" "Eeeeee!" "Eeeeee!"
Age 19"Bonnie! I came as soon as I heard! Are you alright?" "I am now, thank you, Lyra." "Does it still hurt?" "A little bit, but not as much as before." "What exactly happened?" "I was in the middle of a dance recital, and during one of my spins, my hoof caught on a tiny gap in the floor, and I fell, breaking my leg." "Ugh, I'm sorry." "It's alright, Lyra. It's past now." "So how long are you going to stay cooped up here? I don't know about you, but I hate the smell of hospitals." "Just another day. The doctor said he would check to make sure nothing else is wrong before releasing me." "How long till you are back on the stage?" "Well, the cast is going to be on for about 6 weeks... but I don't think I will be dancing again." "What!? Why not?" "Apparently there is some history in my family of weakened bones. There is a small chance of being born with it. My grandmother had it, and now apparently I have it. We just didn't know because I had never broken anything before." "Oh my gosh, Bonnie, I'm so, so sorry!" "I may have a slight limp the rest of my life." "What will you do then?" "I don't know." "Well is there anything I can do?" "Will you stay with me a while?" "Of course, hon."
Age 5"But mom, I don't want to go to the dumb dance show. It's for little fillies." "Now now, little Lyra, I promised my friend we'd come and see her daughter dance, and you are still too young to be home alone." "Don't call me little. I'm a big filly." "I know you are, dear." "Where is this thing anyway?" "It's at the theatre. See? Here we are now." "It looks old." "It is." "And boring." "Oh, don't be like that." "It's stuffy in here, and there's lots of old ponies." "Don't say that! Now, would you like a snack before the show starts?" "No! I wanna go home and play My Little Humany!" "Don't you yell at me, young mare! Just for that, as soon we get home you are going straight to bed with no supper. Now sit down and be quiet." "Fine." "Stop fidgeting." "I'm not." "And stop kicking the seat in front of you." "But this chair hurts! There's no cushion! I think it's broken." "I'll break your rump if you don't quiet down." "But Mom, I'm bored." "Well that's too bad." "Is that the stage?" "Yes it is." "There's nothing on it. It looks boring!" "Hush now, and sit still, the show is starting." "..." "..." "...Mom?" "What is it now?" "Who is that?" "That's my friend's daughter, Bon-Bon." "What is she doing?" "She's dancing." "She's pretty good."
