Clean Up Crew

Lyra cried, clutching close to the mare in front of her as tears leaked from her eyes. The mare rubbed her back slowly, singing softly as she hugged her close, not wanting to let go.

“Hush now quiet now its time to lay your sleepy head, hush now quiet now its time to go to bed.”

Lyra clung tighter, her arms shaking as she listened to the mares words.

“Hush now quiet now its time to lay you sleepy head, hush no w quiet now its time to go to bed.”

Lyra felt the mare push her away, and then looked down as the mare placed a gun into her hands.

“Drift drift off to sleep and leave the exciting day behind you; drift drift off to sleep that the joyous day might find you.”

The mare placed a hand on Lyra’s cheek, causing her to look up as she wiped away the blood that had smeared there, blood that had come from the bite wound on her neck.

“Hush now quiet now its time to lay your sleepy head, hush now quiet now its time to go to bed. Hush now quiet now its time to lay your sleepy head, hush now quiet now its time to go to bed.”

She gave one last smile to Lyra, and then nodded at her. Lyra sobbed hard, then lifted up the gun, pulling the trigger and shooting her mother through the head.

* * *

“Lyra! LYRA!”

Lyra opened her eyes, seeing the face of her new partner staring down at her, a look of annoyed concern stretched across her face.

“Well finally you fucking bitch,” said Bon-Bon, “I have been trying to get you up for the past fucking hour now, its time for us to head back to base.”

Lyra simply stared at her for a moment; then closed her eyes and sighed. “You go back to base yourself Bon-Bon; I want to stay here for a while longer.”

“What, you can’t do that it’s against regulations!”

Lyra groaned, fucking brilliant, HQ had to assign her a partner who didn’t even know her fucking clearance. “Look Bon-Bon, I know this whole partner thing is probably new for you, but I have different clearances then you do, so I can stay out in the field as long as I want. And before you ask-” I said, pointing a menacing finger at her, “-my clearance comes from the president herself. Just go back to base on your own ok, I’ll be fine.”

Bon-Bon looked like she wanted to argue, but for once the girl shut up and turned around, leaving Lyra with her thoughts. Lyra secretly cursed herself; she hated mentioning the president when she wanted to get her way, for it always made ponies uncomfortable around her. It wasn’t her fault that she happened to be President Mercury’s step daughter, she would be happy if everypony just treated her the same.

She sighed, getting up and pulling out her bow, knocking an arrow and looking for a decent target to pick off. A lot of the ponies thought she was crazy for never using guns, but they never voiced these opinions out loud for fear of the presidential hammer cracking down on their heads. They didn’t really have to worry though, the only thing her step mother had ever done was to help her get into this line of work in the first place, the rest of her clearances and training she had earned from the only pony who had not been skittish about the idea, Boss S.H.I.E.L.D.

She took in a deep breath, pulling back the bowstring as she thought of the old codger. He was the only pony in the entire boarder guard that treated her like normal soldier instead of the president’s daughter, making her work for all her privileges instead of giving them to her outright. He also saw her as a mare, which was good because when you were assigned to “The Cleanup Crew” as everypony called it, fuck-buddies became as much of a necessity as food and water, and nopony save Boss would touch her in that way, let alone look at her.

She finally found a group of monsters stalking through a nearby street, and so she took aim, drawing on the head of one as she began to whisper.

“Hush now quiet now its time to lay your sleepy head, hush now quiet now its time to go to bed.”

She then loosed her arrow, hitting it dead center while its fellows looked around in confusion. She pulled out another arrow, knocking it and drawing back the bowstring before speaking again, taking aim at another of the beasts.

“Hush now quiet now its time to lay your sleepy head, hush now quiet now its time to go to bed.”

Another fell, and again she pulled out another arrow, the next words on her lips before she even had the bowstring pulled back.

“Drift drift off to sleep and leave the exciting day behind you; drift drift off to sleep that the joyous day might find you.”

Two more fell, leaving one standing alone in the street looking afraid. She pulled out one last arrow, knocking it and drawing back the string, a tear sliding down her cheek as she uttered the last part of the lullaby.

“Hush now quiet now its time to lay your sleepy head, hush now quiet now its time to go to bed. Hush now quiet now its time to lay your sleepy head, hush now quiet now its time to go to bed.”

The final creature fell and she lowered her bow, tears falling down her face as she reached inside her jacket with her free hand, pulling out an old beat up locked. She lowered herself into a crouching position then, popping open the locket and tracing a finger around the picture inside, a small smile forming as she looked up into the smoke covered skies above her.

“Happy mothers day…mom…”